An Assassins Flame
by BookDreamer98
Summary: Rose Hathaway is a deadly assassin, famous for her skill and brutality. One night she is taken by the Captain of the King's Guard, a mysterious warrior, and taken to the last place she'd expected to find herself. The King's Castle. The King wants her for her skill, but all manner of secrets are hidden within the stone walls.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, welcome to the new story! I hope you like the name. I'm so excited for this story, I literally haven't been able to stop thinking about writing it since the idea came to my mind, but I just want you to know I haven't given up on my other story, I just thought I should take some time off it until I can fully get myself back into it, because I didn't want to carry on writing if my mind was fully dedicated to it, you know? Anyway, thanks so much for reading and sticking with me, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong wholly to Richelle Mead, and the inspiration from this story comes from the Throne of Glass books by Sarah J. Maas, though the changes to the story and the writing is completely my own. Enjoy!**

Death is a strange thing, isn't it? How one moment, you can be breathing and living, your heart pumping blood around your body just as it should. And then the next minute, everything stops, and you're gone. Whether death comes from failure of the heart, or a slow and progressive disease that drags you kicking and screaming from the world of the living. It could be something as simple and deadly as a drop of poison in the glass of wine you drink from. It could be the cut of a knife along the soft flesh of your throat while you sleep. But all death is the same, one minute you are real, you have a family and achievements and goals, and then the next minute you are absolutely nothing.

Death had never been something that frightened me, I had seen too much of it to ever fear it. I had seen the life leave a person's eyes too many times to fear it.

Though I had been afraid the first time I took a life. I had spent my entire life scaling the rooftops of houses and ducking in and out of stalls filling my pockets with food in order to survive. I grew up almost entirely alone, I didn't have friends, and I didn't have family. There was once a woman, who would feed and shelter me for a while, but I soon became cold to the world and she would stop offering me her help. I had learnt from a very young age that I blended into a crowd, and I didn't draw attention to myself, no one ever looked twice at me.

That is until one day, someone did.

I was 13 years old when a man cornered me in one of the dark alleys that branch off the market square. I knew exactly what he wanted by the look in his eyes when he stumbled over to me. And when his clammy hand gripped the fabric of my ruined shirt my body moved of its own accord. I didn't know how my body knew how to move the way it did, I didn't even know my muscles had the strength to do what they did, but one second he was grabbing me and the next he was on the floor. There was blood leaking from a wound on his head, but his chest rose and fell with each ragged breath he took. He was still alive.

That wasn't the first time I killed a person, no. It was the day after that.

I was heading to the market, as I did every day to pickpocket coins or jewellery to sell for food, when a finely dressed woman approached me. The skirts of her dress rustled with every delicate step she took. She was middle aged but had eyes that had clearly seen too much of this world.

"I saw what you did to that man yesterday; I have also seen you stealing from the stalls here every day." She was well spoken; I could tell every word was well thought out.

Alarm bells rang in my mind, I was old enough to know when to get out of a bad situation, and this was one of those times.

"Before you run, I have something you need." She said as she held out a draw-string pouch in her spotless hand. I head the coins knocking against each other inside. There was probably more money in there than I had ever held in my life, and she carried it around as if it was nothing at all.

I looked her in the eye and cocked my head, a silent invitation for her to continue, she knew she held my interest. "There is a man I need you to kill for me, and the money will be yours." She went on to tell me where I would find the man, and handed me a kitchen knife to do the job with. She gave me a time and a place to meet her the following day where she would give me the money.

I might have been stupid to take her offer, but I had spent too many days not eating a single thing and too many nights sleeping in cold, dark alleys. I took the knife without a word and walked away. I probably should have mentioned to the woman that I hadn't killed the man in the alleyway, and that I had no idea how to actually kill a person. But then my empty stomach groaned and my instincts to survive took over. I needed to do this.

That night, I found the man exactly where the woman said he would be. He was intoxicated, as most men were at this time of night. He was stumbling out of a tavern, when I simply stepped in front of him. The top of my head didn't even reach the height of his shoulders. I was afraid. The streets of this city were not kind to a homeless 13 year old girl. I had seen some terrible sights, but I had never thought I would find myself killing people for money.

He didn't even bat an eyelid when he saw me step in his way, he just raised his right fist, he was simply going to knock me out of his way as if I were a leaf falling in front of his face.

He didn't even see the knife as I plunged it into his chest.

I tried not to think about how I could barely keep my grip on the knife due to the sweat that was collecting in my palms.

The knife didn't go all the way in the first time, and so I pulled it out and thrust it back in with both hands, that one hit the mark. I let his body slump to the ground with a thud. His last words were curse words; he spoke as if his tongue was too big for his mouth. I watched the stranger take his last breath, I watched the life leave his eyes, and it was like he was staring right through me. I didn't know what his name was and I had no idea why the woman with too-full pockets wanted him dead. I did not cry, once I realised what I had done. No, I didn't cry, I simply felt hollow.

I didn't sleep that night. I sat shivering, clutching the knife to my chest, watching the moon set and the sun replace it in the sky.

The next day I met the woman where she said she would be. She held out the pouch filled with coins as she saw me carefully approaching her.

"Thank you." She said quietly when I finally reached her. She didn't ask for proof, she didn't say anything else. Maybe they'd already found his body, maybe she'd already been told of his tragic murder. Was she expected to mourn the person she wanted dead?

The naive part of me wondered if I really should have taken the money, the remaining innocent part of me wondered if it was really the right thing to do. But then the fighter within me took over and I reminded myself that I hadn't eaten a hot meal in years, and that my shoes were most likely two sizes too small. I gave the woman a nod and took the money from her outstretched hand, and then I was gone and I never saw her again.

That was how it started, and now at the age of 19 years old I was known amongst the local criminals and thieves as the most dangerous and deadly assassin in the Kingdom. And now, Lords and Ladies with full pockets approached me from near and far with people they needed to get rid of.

As I grew from a scrawny child to a fully developed lady, my body changed in more than one way. Not only did my breasts become fuller and my hips wider, but my muscles grew stronger.

The killing got easier and easier as the years went on until I felt nothing at all, it was a job, a necessity in order to survive. And now I rented a room above the healers infirmary, I had a bed to sleep in and a full stomach, and I had done it all on my own.

I heard my name whispered in the streets, they called me the Unseen Assassin. Folk knew what I looked like from when they come to me and ask me to do their dirty work, but it seems that no one ever sees me get the job done. The people that can afford it simply ask for the person to be killed and then they turn up dead the next day, no one ever knows how or when it was done, but they all know it was me.

As more and more people came to me asking for me services, I had taken to wearing a black mask that covered my nose and mouth with a hood that covered my long dark hair, leaving only my brown eyes to be seen. This meant that I could walk around during the day and not have people running and screaming when they realised who I was. By day, I was a normal young woman going about her life, by night I was the deadliest person in the Kingdom.

I had learnt not to fear anything in this life, I had become stronger and faster than anyone around here, I knew what I was capable of. I had enough money now that I could afford to survive, I could eat out and buy food that had been cooked by someone else and I could buy drinks that were served in a glass rather than drinking the last of other peoples and begging for scraps of food like I had for the first 13 years of my life until I gained a skill I had never known I wanted.

But with my title and my skill came danger and people who feared me, people who wanted me gone, which is part of the reason I started to hide my identity.

Something had felt off for a few days now, like I was being watched, I felt as if there were eyes on me wherever I went. I had become a lot more aware of my surroundings as I grew up and became more aware of the dangers in this world. I made note of the exits whenever I entered a room and found myself mentally scanning every stranger I came across, checking for strengths and weaknesses.

I suppose I should have been ready when they came for me, but for the first time in my whole life, I had been caught off guard. Don't get me wrong, I put up a hell of a fight. One of my many knives was in my hand before the first guy even laid a hand on me. But there must have been at least 10 of them, and I could tell as soon as I saw them that they must have been training to fight before I could even walk. And I knew I wasn't going to walk away from this fight when I saw the white band on the upper arm of their uniforms, it had a crown embroidered onto it.

I didn't go down without a fight, I fought until I could barely breathe, but ultimately it wasn't enough. I saw the handle of a sword coming down onto the side of my head and I knew that I was done for.

My name is Rose Hathaway, I am the most deadly assassin in the Kingdom, and I have just been captured by the King's personal Guard.

 **There we have Chapter 1! I'm so excited for this story to go underway. This chapter was really just an introduction to Rose and giving a bit of background to her life, I've tried to make it clear but if you have any questions please feel free to message me or write them in your review and I'll be happy to reply! We'll be meeting Dimitri as well as some other vital characters next chapter, Adrian will play a big part in this story as will his Father, although it will be based primarily around Rose and Dimitri. I really hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and I would love to hear what you all think, because I'll be worrying away about whether people liked it or not! Also, I don't have a name for the Kingdom yet; the royal family are the Ivashkov's however Adrian isn't the King, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks again for reading, please let me know what you think and don't forget to follow and favourite as well as review because it will really encourage me to keep writing if I know you're enjoying it, thanks again!**


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing I felt when I awoke was a throbbing pain in the side of my head, I knew I must have been hit pretty hard, but pain wasn't something that was new to me.

I opened my eyes only to see darkness before me. There was a sack over my head. I could hear low and quiet voices all around me, those must be the guards. I was moving slightly backwards and forwards, the familiar sensation of being on a horse.

I had never had a horse of my own before, of course I could never afford one, but I once made friends with a stable boy and he would often let me ride one of the horses; I even stayed in the stables with them for a while in the colder months. I felt like animals and I had always had a form of understanding between us. I felt like animals were such misunderstood creatures, always being told what to do without a second thought.

I took a deep breath and let me senses take over, trying to get a feel of my surroundings. I couldn't see or smell a single thing thanks to the itchy bag that was tied over my head. But other than the low, masculine voices I was sure I could hear raindrops falling onto leaves, were we in woodland? Strange, I couldn't feel any raindrops falling on my arms or legs. I knew there was a vast expanse of woodland between the city and the Kings castle, perhaps we were in it. I could only feel the leather of the saddle beneath me and the rough coat of the horse I was riding. My hands were bound in front of me with rope. I was still slouched over the neck of the horse as if I were unconscious.

I slowly sat up and waited for someone to notice that I was awake. They didn't.

I sighed. "Can someone take this damn bag off my head? I already know where we're going so there's really no point in it being here." I exclaimed.

"And how do you know where we're going?" Someone asked before I heard a thud and hushed voices.

"You will only speak when spoken to." A low voice sounded from somewhere close beside me, the owner of the voice had a strong accent that I couldn't quite place.

I mentally rolled my eyes. "I know where we're going because I saw your badges before you politely knocked me unconscious, we're going to the King's Castle." No one said anything to that, I guess the one with the accent was in charge and had knocked some sense into the others.

I became tense with boredom as the time passed, I found myself absentmindedly stroking the long mane of the horse as we went a long, and I had only just enough hand movement to run my fingers through the coarse hairs.

"You aren't putting up much of a fight." Who I assumed was the Captain stated from beside me, it wasn't a question.

"I realise there wouldn't be much point in trying." I replied.

He scoffed from beside me and that was that. But my words were only the truth; I knew that there was no way I could escape however many men there were around me, especially the Kings Guards. As far as I knew they were put through extensive and dangerous training so the King could ensure they were good enough for the job. I wouldn't stand a chance, especially without a weapon.

We travelled for what felt like a lifetime but must have only be a few hours before the hooves of the horses hit solid brick rather than soft earth, we must have been getting close.

Soon I heard the bustle of a crowded place as we passed by what must have been the town surrounding the Castle. The voices hushed as we passed. Did the townsfolk know I was coming? Surely not. They must just be staring at the King's new prisoner.

I had travelled far enough to see it only once, and it hadn't seemed worth the foot ache it had caused me. The castle was large and incredibly grand, made entirely of grey stone with an incredibly looming wall around it, the gate appeared impenetrable, but I could hear it creaking open and knew we had walked in without any trouble at all.

We finally came to a halt and I was roughly yanked from atop my steed. I pulled back for just a moment. "Wait." I said.

The large hands that held me still tightened, but we stopped moving for just a second. "The horse... what is its name?" I asked hesitantly.

I heard a man scoff from somewhere close by, but the one holding me did not laugh.

The one with the accent, the one holding me in place, was the one to answer my question. "Ame. It means..."

"Soul. I know." I said before he could tell me. In a language far more beautiful than ours, the word means soul.

He didn't wait any longer, and instead dragged me along, one hand gripping my arm hard enough to bruise, and the other firmly holding the back of my neck, I was pretty much immobile.

My head was spinning and my legs were stiff from the long ride on horseback, but my mind was clear, it had to be.

I heard doors being shoved open and suddenly we were inside. Was I really walking through the King's Castle? How could that be?

"Now listen carefully, girl. You will _not_ speak unless spoken to. You will bow before the king. And if you move a single muscle when you are not supposed to, I will make you regret the day you were born." The accented voice was low but clear, leaving no room for argument.

"Do you understand me?" He growled.

"Yes." My voice was quieter than I wanted it to be. I didn't know how to address the man.

Could they really be bringing me in to see the king? I thought at the very most they must have taken me to replace some slave, not that I would be presented before the King himself.

When my neck was starting to ache from the angle in which I was being held, we finally stopped walking. A fist connected with a heavy door in three loud knocks. The sound shook my bones.

"Enter." Called a voice from inside, and then I was being dragged again. The door opened with a gust of cool air.

Until I was pushed, and my knees connected with the hard floor.

The bag was ripped from my head and the ropes around my wrists were cut with a knife that had been sheathed at the Captains side; my eyes squinted from the sudden intrusion of light.

I was kneeling before King Ivashkov's throne.

My brutal captor knelt beside me, and shoved my head down when he noticed I hadn't given His Majesty the sign of respect I was apparently supposed to.

In the split second I had caught sight of his face, I had seen all I had to see. He was absolutely God-like.

The man had long brown hair that looked like it would brush his shoulders if it weren't tied up at the nape of his neck. I hadn't noticed before but he wasn't wearing the typical guards uniform that the others wore, instead he wore a brown leather jacket, what I believed was called a duster. Was this man so prestigious that he didn't even need a uniform for people to know who he was?

In the time that my head was bowed, I managed to take in my surroundings. The throne room was large but sparse; there was nothing in here except the large throne that dominated the room. There was a man stood to the right of the King, and Guards lining all four walls, and two stationed on either side of the one and only door leading in and out of the room.

"Rise." The King commanded from his throne before us. My jailer rose in one swift motion and yanked me to my feet with him, as if I weighed little more than a feather.

I finally looked at the King, only to find him studying me incredibly closely. He was a somewhat stocky man, with silver hair and a bushy moustache. My eyes were drawn to the sword that hung at his side, it was intricately designed, it made me wonder if he had ever used it to cut someone's throat before. Surely something that beautiful wasn't made for something as harsh and unflattering as killing.

My eyes finally fell onto the man at his side. He had sable brown hair, but the eyes were what struck me, they were unlike any I had ever seen before: dark emerald green. He was tall, though not nearly as tall as the man beside me. He was watching me with an incredible intensity, as if I were a meal he was about to devour.

My attention snapped back to the King when he spoke again, although he wasn't looking at me. "Captain Belikov, are you sure this is the one?" He asked the man beside me, Captain Belikov. He sounded shocked, disappointed even, was I not what he was expecting?

I risked a glance at the Captain, only to see him looking unwaveringly at the King, he practically radiated loyalty. Like a lap dog. I thought that I had lost all appreciation for beauty in this world, but his looks struck me. I had never seen a man like him.

"Without a doubt, Your Majesty. My men and I watched her for several days." I had to work to hide my surprise. How had I not known that several people had been watching my movements for _several_ days?

The King did not seem satisfied by that answer. His attention returned to me. He beheld me like a cat might look at a mouse. "What is your name, girl?" He asked.

"Rose Hathaway." I stated. I was glad my voice came out steady.

"Hm." Was the only response I received.

"She doesn't look like much, little more than skin and bones." I wanted to laugh at that, I weighed more than I ever had in my life, since I could actually afford to eat. But my clothes hung off my body, they were too big for me and had not been washed in some time. I wore leather pants that I had to save for weeks to afford with knee-high boots protecting my feet; a faded shirt covered my top half. I must have lost my hood and mask when they put the bag over my head.

"I can assure you, My King, that this is the girl you requested, the assassin."

Is that why he wanted me? Because I was an assassin? _The_ assassin? Was he going to kill me because of what I had to do to survive? I suppose it would be well deserved after all the lives I had taken. At one point I had kept count of the number of deaths I had caused, I felt like I owed the victims that small mercy. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks merged into months I started to lose track. I had spiralled into a black pit of nothingness, and even a number seemed unsubstantial to me.

"Prove it. Prove you are the deadly assassin that the people of my Kingdom claim you are." He said. Captain Belikov nodded at once and strode over to the edge of the room and stood before a Guard with bright red hair. I felt naked in the centre of the room without him beside me. I knew all eyes were on me. I had never liked being looked at, being seen was too dangerous.

"Ashford, we require your sword." Belikov commanded.

The redhead- Ashford- nodded and handed the Captain the sword without a second thought. I had a feeling these men had been trained to lay down their lives for each other without so much as a doubt in their minds.

Belikov strode towards me and held out the sword with the handle facing towards me. He was pointing the blade right at his own stomach. It would be so easy to grab the handle and shove the blade deep into his stomach.

I took the sword.

"Castille is one of our best swordsmen, Sir. If you approve, he will spar with the girl to test her skill." The Captain addressed the King, to which he only nodded; he was still watching me carefully.

A blonde Guard stepped forward and faced me. I adjusted the weight of the sword in my hand, it felt unfamiliar to me. I worked better with knives; I had only held a sword a handful of times. I was going to make a fool of myself.

"You aim to disarm, not harm your opponent in any way. Begin." Belikov said from where he stood, watching, a few feet away.

Castille and I circled each other for a moment or two before he stepped forward with his left leg and swung his sword straight across, I dodged the attack with a quick twist of my body.

I was simply defending myself from his attacks; I hadn't had the opportunity to swing my sword yet.

I could tell my audience was getting tired, and truthfully, I was too. I waited until the Guard had just swung his sword before I took my chance. I gripped the handle with both hands and swung.

It was slow, the sword was heavier than I was expecting, and the blade of his sword met mine in mid air. Now we were pushing against each other with everything we had.

I gritted my teeth. I knew I was strong, but he was stronger.

He pushed and pushed against me until I stepped back to balance myself. He took his opportunity.

The bottom of the handle of his sword came up against my clasped hands and the sword went flying from my hands. I was defenceless.

Castille hastily picked up my dropped sword and handed it back to his redheaded comrade before getting back to his post at the edge of the room with his other brothers in arms.

Captain Belikov was back at my side.

"Do you really expect me to believe that you are some deadly assassin, known for killing hundreds of people, when you can barely hold a sword?" The King said, his voice was rising with his temper. It was becoming clear to me that he was not a patient man.

I gritted my teeth once more. If there was one thing I despised more than anything, it was being belittled and under estimated.

I had spied the knife at the Captains side as soon as I had opened my eyes. And quicker than even I could believe, I had it in my hand and at the Captains throat, holding him awkwardly against my body facing the King.

In unison, every Guard in the room had his sword drawn and pointed in my direction.

Belikov held out a hand to his men, and they stopped at once. "Do not come any closer. She knows what she's doing." I felt the knife vibrate as he spoke against the blade. My arm was wrapped tightly around his chest; I could feel nothing but pure muscle. It was difficult holding the man in place when he was so much taller than me; my head barely came up to his shoulders.

The King was smiling.

I kept a firm grip on the knife and shoved the man away, he twisted to face me in a defensive stance, and his hand hovered over the hilt of his sword. I noticed then that his sword hilt was not simply leather like the one I had just held, it was intricately designed, not quite as extravagantly as the Kings, but similarly.

"Draw your sword and fight me, Captain Belikov." I demanded, my voice was low but confident.

I realised that I was risking a lot by challenging the Captain of the King's Guard, but whatever this meeting was, it was not currently working in my favour.

He regarded me as if I was insane, watching me very closely, but drew his sword all the same.

It was in that moment that I finally got a full view of his face, he had a face sculpted as if from stone, a sharp jaw line and high cheekbones, with eyes such a deep brown in colour that they almost appeared to be bottomless.

He was waiting for me to make the first move, and so I did.

I swung myself low and aimed my knife at his knees, he backed up a step just in time and I ducked beneath the sword that was currently flying above my head at an unimaginable speed. I didn't spare a second; I gave it everything I had and he didn't hold back either.

Neither of us had landed any serious blows on the other until I caught the Captain on the cheek with the tip of the blade. Not deep enough to scar, but enough to draw blood.

A low growl emitted from deep within his chest and I knew he was finished playing with me.

His attacks were relentless after that; I had managed to miss all of them by the skin of my teeth until he caught me on my upper arm. The sting brought a gasp from my lips and the dull shirt turned red. There was wind howling in my ears and fire burning through my blood.

"Enough." A voice sounded from somewhere in the room and my opponents attacks stopped immediately. He sheathed his bloody sword back into his holster and snatched the knife from my sweaty palm before I could even take a breath.

The voice that interrupted us had been the King's. "The fact that you are even still alive proves to me that you are who I thought you were." I hadn't realised it before, but there was a layer of ice on the throne and coating the ground around it.

I had heard whispers and rumours that the Royal family had the ability to control ice, but I had no idea it was true. There was once a time, hundreds of years ago, when everyone had control of their powers, but as we humans adapted and the necessity for an ability like it faded, most gifts died out of the bloodlines. Now, only the most elite bloodlines had access to their powers, and the Ivashkov's ability was power over ice.

"Rose Hathaway, the Unseen Assassin. You will train with Captain Belikov every day until he thinks you are ready for what I require of you." He said. I knew he was waiting for me to ask what he needed me for.

"And what is it, _Your Majesty,_ that you require of me?" I asked.

"You are to be my Assassin." He stated, completely confidently.

"And if I refuse?" I asked. I knew I was walking on thin ice by even speaking out of term.

A sadistic smile lit up the King's wrinkled face. "You will not refuse. You will live here, in the castle, and have access to riches you can never imagine. You would be a _fool_ to refuse my offer." His hand rested upon his sword as he said the word fool, and I knew exactly what he meant. If I refused, I would be killed.

He had me cornered and he knew it. I didn't say anything, and it was enough. I suspected that I wasn't being told everything, but now was not the time to doubt such things.

"Wonderful. Captain Belikov, take our guest to her room. You will start training tomorrow as often as you see fit. And see to it that she bathes before she is seen walking around the grounds, we can't have a stray mutt running amongst our best hounds." I clenched my fists and bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying something I would regret. Though I was somewhat surprised that he had said I would be going to a _room_ rather than a _cell._

"Yes, Your Majesty." Belikov responded with a low bow, before gripping my wrist in a vice-like grip and yanking it to the ground, ultimately making me bend at the hips into an uncomfortable and unflattering bow.

I didn't even have a chance to blink before I was being hauled out of the room. What had I gotten myself into?

 **There we have Chapter 2! I really hope you liked the first look at some of the most important characters in this story. I just want to thank you all for all of the reviews, favourites and follows that I have received for this story already, it really inspires me to keep writing if I know that it is something that you are all interested in reading. I'm really looking forward to continue writing this story! I really hope you enjoyed the second chapter, and I absolutely love hearing from you all so please let me know what you think! Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing I noticed about King Ivashkov's castle was that it was a labyrinth of hallways, staircases and seemingly unused and meaningless rooms. I told myself that the first thing I would do here was memorise my way around this endless castle, and if I could, learn every possible exit route, in case I ever needed it.

Captain Belikov did not say a word as he led me down hallway after hallway and up staircase after staircase. I hated to admit it, but I found his cold presence to be intimidating and uncomfortable. If I were to talk to him, I imagine it would be like having a conversation with a brick wall.

The only people we had passed on our journey through the grand building were guards and servants, all of which nodded their respects to Belikov and either stared at or completely ignored me.

Finally, we stopped in front of a thick wooden door that appeared to be no different from the others. Were these the guest quarters or was I simply going to be shoved into a broom closet?

My captor opened the door and dragged me inside behind him. It was a bedroom. The bed looked bigger than any other I had ever slept on, and there was a wooden bedside table that held an oil lamp, which cast the room in a dim glow. There was an armoire along one of the walls which I had to presume was empty, I didn't have any possessions here, after all. There was also an empty, rickety looking bookcase, which looked just about ready to collapse. It looked how I felt. I wouldn't need that, I wasn't sure I would want to read during my time here even if I could. My eyes finally landed on a door in the corner of the room.

"Bathing Chamber." The tall accented man stated from his position beside me as he finally released my arm from its iron grip. I absentmindedly rubbed at the place he had held me; I didn't doubt that it would leave a nasty bruise.

Once I had assessed the room, I looked at Belikov expectantly, only to find him watching me very carefully. The scratch on his cheek had stopped bleeding; the blood had now dried into the stubble that adorned his chin and cheeks, he didn't seem at all bothered by it. Like me, I assumed he was used to injuries and blood stained skin. The blood of my own wound had soaked the arm of my shirt, and he noticed it at the same time that I did. He did not look at all apologetic, but I felt no guilt towards the injury I had caused him either.

"Someone will be in to tend to your wound. Training will commence tomorrow, someone will collect you and bring you to the training area where I will be waiting." I was about to interrupt and tell him that I could treat my own wound, but he was already out of the door.

I explored the room further, and took a moment to admire the fireplace that was on the wall opposite the bed. It was filled with logs but it was not lit. I would have appreciated the warmth it would bring to the room but there were no matches in sight.

Next, I went to the small window, it faced out onto perfectly tended gardens. The lawn was trimmed to perfection and rose bushes lined either side of the path running through the middle, trees that looked like they had been there for hundreds of years were scattered throughout the land. I pressed my hands against the thick glass, but it would not budge.

I went into the bathing chamber next. There was a sink, a small tub and a toilet, with a mirror held onto the wall. I had not looked at my reflection in what felt like a lifetime. What looked back at me was neither a familiar nor a friendly face. Is this what I looked like to other people? Is this what they saw when they looked at me? My dark brown, almost black hair, fell in limp locks down to my waist, it was heavily knotted in places. There was a dark bruise at my temple where I had been knocked unconscious another lifetime ago. My cheeks were sunken into my face and my brown eyes were lifeless. If I looked closely enough, I could almost see flecks of gold surrounding my pupils. The gold almost reminded me of a flame. Perhaps once that flame would have burned hot and bright, now it seemed almost completely extinguished.

A gentle knock sounded at the door and I stepped out of the bathing room to see a woman poking her head through the bedroom door. She gave me an apologetic look but entered the room nonetheless. She looked to be in her 50's, with sandy hair that was dusted with flecks of grey. Her body showed signs of years of work, calloused hands and sunken shoulders, but her face was kind. She held a pile of clothes and what looked like a sewing kit in her arms. She placed the items gently on the foot of the bed before facing me a carefully bowing. No one had ever bowed to me before, and I didn't think they ever would. Why would they need to?

"My name is Alberta; I am here to tend to your injuries." She said before heading into the bathing chamber. She turned on a faucet and the bathtub slowly started filling, before she took a cloth and wet it with water from the sink. She returned to the room and pulled up a wooden chair that I had barely noticed before, before sitting down on it gently. She motioned towards the bed and gestured for me to sit down across from her.

"You don't have to do this." I said before moving a muscle. "I can fix it myself." I stated, hoping it would encourage her to leave.

"I know you can, but everyone needs to be looked after once in a while." She said the words as if they meant nothing at all. Did she know that I had never been looked after by anyone but myself?

She held my eye contact for a long moment without backing down. I sighed reluctantly and sat at the edge of the bed opposite from where she was seated. "I am going to have to cut the shirt, is that alright?" She asked as she picked up two small blades that had been tied together at the end with a bit of string. I didn't say anything, I just nodded. I had assumed that if the King wanted me to bathe before walking around the castle, then he would likely want me to dispose of my filthy and cheap clothes too.

Alberta gently took my arm into her hand and rested my hand facing upwards on her knee so she could access the wound on my upper arm. I couldn't remember the last time I had experienced any physical contact with another person that wasn't violent. Her touch made me uncomfortable, I tried not to flinch.

She carefully took the blades and opened them against the edge of the sleeve of my shirt, she closed her fist around the blunt end of the blades and they came down together onto the blood soaked material, she did this until she reached my shoulder.

I glanced down, the wound was deep but clean.

"It is deep. I will just wash the blood away and then stitch it up." She explained as she placed the blades on the bed and took the damp cloth and pressed it against my arm. The sting of it made my take in a sharp breath, though the pain helped clear my mind.

"Yes, well, Captain Belikov knows his way around a sword." I said with a sigh. She gave me a strange look for a moment, like she was putting the pieces of a puzzle together, before continuing her work. Her hands were steady as the needle pierced the skin on one side of the wound and came out of the other. I watched her closely; I found the repetition of the task soothing. She tied the thread into a neat knot once she was finished, and bandaged the wound before standing.

While her back was turned, I slipped the blades beneath the pillow on the bed.

"The bath should be ready by now. There is a nightgown there and spare undergarments, as well as clothes for you to wear tomorrow. I will bring you breakfast before you are collected for your training." She said as she cleared away the items she had used to care for me.

"Thank you." I called as she headed towards the door.

"You're welcome." She replied with a kind yet hesitant smile. She reached for the door handle but I spoke before she could open it.

"Wait. Am I allowed to leave my room?" I asked carefully.

She looked taken aback for a moment, before giving me what could only be described as a look of sympathy. She was probably wondering why I would want to walk around an unfamiliar castle my first night here after I'd just received a beating.

"For tonight, I would say no, My Lady. I would advise you to ask Captain Belikov when you see him tomorrow." She told me with a smile. Did she really just call me Lady?

She opened the door then. "Rose. My name is Rose." I said.

I knew she was likely already aware of my name, but I didn't like being called Lady. "Goodnight Rose." She said before stepping through the door and closing it behind her.

I stood in the middle of the bedroom for a moment, considering her words. I _would_ ask the Captain tomorrow what I was and was not permitted to do in this castle. If I was to stay here indefinitely then surely they couldn't expect me to spend all of that time locked up in this room? I was not used to being confined.

I entered the bathing room and stripped off my filth-covered clothes. My muscles were stiff and they protested as I eased myself into the warm water. It felt heavenly.

Once I had scrubbed my skin raw and lathered and rinsed my hair several times over, I stepped out of the now murky water. I slipped the nightgown on before I had the chance to catch the reflection of my body in the mirror. That was not something I wished to see. The soft material of the nightgown felt oddly pleasant against my skin. I wasn't sure I had ever worn a dress or gown before, and none of my old clothes were ever this soft or finely made.

I glanced out of the window on my way to the bed and saw stars gazing down at me. Oh how I wished that I could be beneath them in this moment.

I glanced at the door, I was itching to explore. But ultimately exhaustion took over and I climbed into the bed. It was soft, warm and better than I could ever have imagined.

I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

 **There we have Chapter 3! Thank you so much for reading and for all of your previous support, I absolutely love reading the reviews and seeing that people have favourited and followed this story. Quick side note, I'm not entirely sure whether bath tubs and sinks with running water were around at this time, but for the sake of the story let's just agree that there was. And the whole blades tied together was basically my poor description of scissors. Anyway, I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter, some proper Romitri interaction! Thanks again so much for reading, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter, please let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

I awoke from the nightmare with a jolt. I sprang upright in the bed and found myself covered in a cold layer of sweat. Goosebumps covered my arms as the haunting effects of the dream lingered in the back of my mind. I glanced out of the small window across the room and saw that the sky was pink; the sun would be gracing us with its presence soon.

I had always preferred night to day; I enjoyed the unknown of the darkness, and having to rely on other senses more. Like the sound of a rat scuttling across a path, the stench of liquor on a man's breath, a dark shadow skipping across an even darker landscape. I preferred the dark because it made people vulnerable and it made me invisible.

I climbed out of the bed; the sheets were tangled with my lean legs. I found my way through the fading darkness and into the bathing chamber where I splashed my face with cool water and changed into the clothes that had been provided for me. In the pile I found practical undergarments that were modest and of a better quality than any I had ever laid hands on before. There were thick black leggings which clung to my legs and an emerald green tunic, the sleeves of which trailed down to my wrists. The colour of the material, I realised, was the same as the King's eyes, and the striking man that stood beside him yesterday. I had also seen the colour dotted throughout the castle, either in the form of curtains or a rug. The body of the runic was baggy; it would have fit me perfectly if I had a few more meals to fill my stomach with. There was also a pair of leather lace up boots which covered me up to the knees. I did not wish to know how the people within this castle knew my shoe and clothing sizes.

Next, I went back to the bed and unearthed the twin blades that were tied together with a piece of string. I untied the string and braided my hair down my back, using the string to tie the end of the braid together. I slipped the blades under the waistband of my leggings. I had no intention of using the blades, but I had learnt over the years that you can never be too prepared.

A light knock sounded at the door just as I pulled the hem of my tunic back down to conceal the top of the blades. Alberta entered the room with a hesitant smile. "Oh good, I was wondering if you were awake. I'm glad to see the clothes fit, the colour suits you." She said as she placed a tray on the bedside table beside the cold oil lamp. The smell of food met my nose and my stomach gave a painful growl.

"I convinced the chef to give you extra breakfast after I told her that you were nothing but skin and bones. And I made the herbal tea myself; it should help you get your strength up." She told me as she pottered around the room. I stood awkwardly as she made my bed.

"Now I don't want to see a single crumb left on that plate. Have your breakfast and two of the boys will be along to take you to your training. She babbled on. Was this what it was like to be cared for by a motherly figure? No, she was only doing her job.

"Thank you, Alberta." I told her as she headed towards the doorway, carrying my old filth covered clothes and the nightgown I had wore that night.

She smiled and gave me a visual once over. "You're welcome, dear." She said as she left the room and shut the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, I lunged for the tray of food.

There was a cup filled with a steaming liquid the colour of lavender which must have been the herbal tea. Beside it was a glass of orange juice and a plate filled with cooked meat and toasted bread that was generously covered in butter. My stomach groaned at the sight and my mouth filled with saliva in anticipation of the flavours.

The plate was cleared within minutes and I had never felt so full in all my life. The herbal tea was surprisingly pleasant and seemed to warm the chill that had been in my bones since I had first arrived here.

I was seriously contemplating licking the plate clean when a knock sounded at the door; it was shorter and harsher than Albert's tentative knock.

I opened the door to two guards; I recognised them from the throne room. I had used the redhead's sword in my forced battle against the blonde one. They both gave me a hesitant smile as I opened the door, I did not return the gesture. "We're here to take you to meet Captain Belikov for training, Lady." The redhead spoke and I distantly recognised his voice as the one who spoke to me on my journey here, before being scolded by the Captain.

I stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind me. "Rose. Call me Rose." I told them as we started walking.

The men shared a glance before the blonde man introduced himself and the other. "I'm Castille, and this is Ashford." I nodded in response and we walked the rest of the journey in uncomfortable silence.

We walked through an unfamiliar part of the castle, and I memorised every twist and turn we made until we reached a large hall that was clearly the training area.

One of the long walls was nothing but windows which looked out onto an area of garden I hadn't seen before. One of the walls was nothing but weapons hanging from hooks, it was covered from floor to ceiling with swords and knives and axes and spears of all shapes and sizes. One of the walls stopped halfway up, leaving the rest as what could only be described as a balcony and was probably used as a viewing area.

Stood in the centre of the room was Captain Belikov.

Ashford bent down so his face was in line with mine. "Good luck." He said with a hint of amusement in his voice. I turned to give him a dirty look and maybe even a dirtier hand gesture only to see the two of them were already on their way out of the room.

Belikov and I were alone.

He was stood facing me with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore black trousers, the male equivalent to mine, with a dark shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up to his elbows, revealing muscled forearms.

He was watching me very closely; his eyes assessed my figure as I had just done to his.

We stood there for a moment, simply staring each other down. I felt naked under his gaze. I squared my shoulders and walked towards him. I stopped a few feet in front of him; he hadn't taken his eyes off me. He watched me like a predator might watch its prey. It was strange, I had always considered myself to be a predator in this world, and everyone else was my prey. I would be careful not to show this man a single weakness, if I even had any.

"Follow me. We are going outside." He said as he started walking, not looking to see if I was following him. I skipped the first few steps to keep up with his long strides.

"What will we be doing outside?" I asked as we headed outside the door that was beside the wall of windows.

"We will be running. I want to see what you can do. You'll be running a lot now that you are training with me, stamina is incredibly important." I was tempted to make a snide remark about never having a problem with stamina before, but I held my tongue.

We stopped walking once we were a considerable distance away from the main castle building; I took a deep breath and took a second to enjoy the sensation of fresh air filling every inch of my lungs.

"We will run until you cannot continue. I expect you to keep up with me." He commanded before he set off running.

His pace was quicker than I would have preferred, but I kept up with him easily enough. I concentrated on my breathing, keeping it even.

"What is your name?" I asked between breaths.

I watched his jaw tense before he spoke. "That is none of your concern. You are wasting breath by talking while you run; you will only make it more difficult for yourself." He said as he pushed his legs to pound the ground faster, he was challenging me.

A considerable portion of the land surrounding the castle was dense woodland, which hid a large and beautiful lake.

The sun reflected onto the water in dazzling streaks. A pleasant wind played with the strands of my hair as I ran beside the Captain.

The bones in my legs felt like they had turned to lead once we were halfway through our second lap of the castle grounds.

"You're panting like a dog after a hunt, do you need to stop?" The Captain asked with nothing but insulting sarcasm dripping from his words.

"No." I replied, pushing my legs to run faster despite my ragged breathing.

We ran and ran until I thought my legs might give out beneath me. We reached the outside of the training room for the third time when Belikov suddenly stopped. He halted with a twist of his body, and swung his right fist aiming directly for my face.

I ducked just in time.

My chest was heaving, but that didn't stop me from clenching my fists and shoving at his chest with all my strength. "What the fuck is your problem?" I yelled. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins like a river of lava.

He gripped my wrists in his large hands and shoved me away; I stumbled but remained on my feet. "Testing your awareness of your surroundings." He said before walking back inside the training area. I clenched my fists tighter and followed behind him.

He strode straight up to the weapons wall and yanked a sword down. He held it out, blade pointing towards my chest. He didn't say a word, but his own intricately designed sword still hung at his side, so I had to assume the one he was holding was for me.

I had a feeling this whole training session was not only a test of my ability, but my personality and resilience too.

I took the razor sharp blade in my hand, not breaking his eye contact for a second.

If he wanted to, he could yank the sword away and split my palm open without even trying. Instead, he let go, allowing me to take the hilt of the sword in my free hand.

"Judging by your poor performance yesterday, I would say you've had little to no practice with a sword, so today we will work on that."

To begin with, he had me practising basic manoeuvres in the air, he demonstrated them and I mimicked him. He would give me pointers and tell me where to change my form if I needed it. "Think of the sword as an extension of your arm. You'll adjust to the weight of it as we build up your muscle strength." He explained as I demonstrated manoeuvre after manoeuvre.

"I'm stronger than I look." I said through gritted teeth.

"I know you are, you proved that yesterday when you held me with a knife to my throat. But it's not just the muscles in your arms that we will work on. It's about the muscles in your stomach and your legs as well." He continued to explain.

"Enough. We will spar now." He said as he drew his sword and faced me. He got into a fighting stance and I mirrored him. Bent knees spread shoulder width apart, sword raised in front of me. "We are testing your technique and strength, we are not aiming to harm." He declared before swinging his sword straight for my chest, I lifted my own weapon to meet his, the clash of metal against metal set off a ringing in my ears.

We fought for what felt like years, I could tell he was doing his best to tire me out. I knew he was holding back, and it angered me.

I gripped the sword tighter and attacked harder and faster until the sheen of sweat on my opponent's forehead became visible and his breathing became more laboured.

Movement in my peripheral vision had me glancing to the balcony that overlooked the training room. Somebody was watching us. Watching _me,_ more accurately.

It was the green eyed man who stood beside the King's throne. He was staring at me with a small smile on his lips.

The distraction cost me.

"Hathaway!" Captain Belikov yelled my name. It was too late for him to pull back on the swing of his sword, but I had just enough time to lift my own sword above my head to stop his from coming down on my skull.

Belikov threw his sword onto the ground and stepped closer to me so my face was inches from his chest. I reluctantly looked up into his anger filled eyes.

"What do you think you are playing at? You do _not_ just start daydreaming in the middle of a battle using deadly weapons. I could have taken your head off! Do you understand me?" He yelled in my face.

I begged the blush not to creep up my neck and into my cheeks. I was not used to being talked down to.

"Yes." I responded. The man on the balcony was still watching. His hands were placed on the stone railing; he was leaning forward as if he could stop the Captain if he went too far.

"Yes what?" He demanded. The Captain smelt of pine and the outdoors, and something purely _masculine._

"Yes, I understand." I replied, not breaking eye contact. I would not let him intimidate me.

"You will address me as Captain Belikov, and nothing less." He said as he stepped back and picked up his sword.

"I will address you as your respectable title only once you have earned my respect." I spat at his turned back.

He turned his head and looked at me then with such a cold and deadly stare that I almost began to regret my words. "Your training session is over for today. Same time tomorrow." He said before striding away and out of the room.

"Wait!" I called after him. "Am I allowed to explore the castle?" I asked. He didn't stop walking; he carried on out of the room as if I hadn't spoken at all.

I glanced up at the balcony, there was no one there.

I carried the sword over to the weapons wall and placed it back where it had come from.

I heard footsteps approaching and every muscle in my body tensed ready for a fight, probably Captain Asshole ready for another battle of words.

But no, the voice was not accented nor was it a voice I recognised.

"Hello, Little Assassin."

 **There we have Chapter 4! Thank you so much for reading, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you think! There will be more interactions between the main characters as we get everyone together for a special (and probably incredibly awkward) scene. There might be a pretty big revelation in the next chapter, something to do with Rose's purpose within the castle, and also something to do with her and Adrian's dynamic, though I'm not quite sure yet! I'm not sure if I'll be able to update again until Monday now as I have a busy weekend ahead, but I might have time to do some more writing tomorrow, so we'll see! Hopefully these first four chapters will be enough to tide you over! Anyway, thank you all so much for your incredible reviews, follows and favourites, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, and Rose and Dimitri's first training session! Thanks again for reading, please let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello, Little Assassin." The unfamiliar voice sang from behind me.

 _Little Assassin?_ Who the _hell_ did this guy think he is?

I stood without turning around for a moment, considering how I should present myself to this man. I didn't know who he was, or what he wanted. But I knew he was likely an important person within the Castle.

Though, I was already tempted to simply turn around and punch him in the jaw for the little nickname he seemed to have given me already.

I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders, ignoring the protests my muscles gave whenever I moved. I turned to face the man who had approached me.

The voice belonged to perhaps one of the most beautiful men I had ever seen. He was the kind of perfect that immediately made me uncomfortable and alert. Surely something this pleasant on the outside had to have something dark lurking on the inside?

He had a pale complexion with sable brown hair that had very clearly been teased into messy perfection. His eyes were what struck me, as they had the first time I laid eyes upon him. They were dark emerald green. The same colour as the tunic that hung from my torso. The same colour as the King's eyes.

He seemed to notice my observation at the same moment I did, because his eyes roamed my figure with such a bold intensity it made me take a step back, my back hit the wall of weapons with a loud clang of metal against stone. The noise made the man smile wide like a Cheshire Cat.

He radiated pure confidence and arrogance.

"I see you are already getting up Dimitri's skin." He said with a taunting smirk as he crossed him arms over his chest.

"Dimitri?" I questioned stupidly, mimicking his body position.

"Captain Dimitri Belikov." He replied, attempting to impersonate the Captains accent, but failing miserably.

Dimitri Belikov. Such a strong and striking name, it suited him.

"Rose Hathaway, it is a pleasure to finally meet you properly." He suddenly said as he bowed low at the hips before he arose with a flourish and snatched my hand in his and pressed his lips to the back of my hand.

His hands and lips were startlingly cold. I flinched and subconsciously jerked my hand back ever so slightly. I was not accustomed to human touch, especially one so bold and cold.

The man looked startled for a moment before recovering himself and giving me an apologetic look. "My apologies. My name is Adrian, Adrian Ivashkov." He declared.

What? He was an Ivashkov? Related to the King himself? Surely this couldn't be the King's one and only son? And he had just kissed my hand and bowed to me as if I held some kind of power over him.

"I-Ivashkov?" I stuttered.

"Yes. Now, I heard you asking Dimitri if you were allowed to explore the grounds. I also saw him rudely ignore you. And so it would be my pleasure to show you around the Castle." He offered simply, as if it was nothing at all.

"You want to show me around? But why?" I asked, and wondered if I should have thought about my words before I spoke. I was simply too shocked to apply a filter between my mouth and brain. This man was related to the King, and I was here under the King's orders, this man could likely have me executed if I approached him the wrong way. I would have to be careful around him.

"It is clear that you will be spending a considerable amount of time in my home, I simply wish to get to know you and show you around." He assured me. I had a feeling he already knew I would say yes. I doubted he was ever refused anything in his life.

"Ok. Alright. I'll come with you." I said finally. It's not like I had anything better to do this afternoon.

"Wonderful!" He exclaimed suddenly, before extending his arm in a gesture that indicated I should take his arm. I didn't. Instead, I walked beside him with a respectable amount of distance between us.

We walked around the castle first, we encountered more rooms, hallways and staircases than I thought possible. This place was endless. We passed several guards and servants, but we also passed one or two courtiers who bowed respectively to Adrian and gave me an insultingly wide berth. As if I were some wild animal that had been set loose within their precious castle. Perhaps I was.

We soon came across a library; Adrian explained that this room held hundreds of valuable books that had been in their family for endless generations. He seemed very proud of the room that held bookshelves as far as the eye could see. I acted as interested as possible, though I had never had the luxury of learning to read during my childhood. So other than the startlingly comforting smells of old parchment, the room held little interest to me.

We reached a grand door that was apparently one of the many entrances to the gardens and land that surrounded the Castle.

"It's a little windy out today, would you like to explore the gardens another time?" He commented on the weather as if it irritated him, almost as if someone within this castle was in control of the weather and they weren't supposed to let the winds pick up speed. Hell, maybe someone _could_ control the weather.

Though I hadn't heard of that exact power before, I had come to learn that nothing was impossible. It also dawned on me in that moment that the man beside me likely had control over the element of ice, just as his father does.

"No. I'd like to explore the gardens." I said, my voice full of determination.

Although I was interested in learning the layout of the castle, I was more interested in the gardens. They had held my interest since the moment I first spied them from the small window in my bedroom.

I had spent my whole life outside, after all. I didn't like being cooped up inside for too long.

We walked through the gardens for some time in somewhat uncomfortable silence. I was not comfortable around this man, but I was also too interested in my surroundings to pay him much attention.

"Where are the stables?" I asked finally.

"The stables? This way." He said, gesturing to the path ahead of us. "Follow me."

The path leading to the stables was lined with perfectly symmetrical trees, placed with even intervals between each one. The stables were grand and perfectly painted and well tended.

These horses lived better than I ever had.

The sound of hooves clipping against the ground and nickering horses met my ears and I found myself gaining a spring in my step.

The stables were filled with perfectly groomed steeds: mares, stallions and geldings alike. They all watched us as we approached with interest. There were not only horses in the stables but several were also peacefully grazing in paddocks that surrounded the main stable block.

Several stable boys wandered in and out of the stables with brooms or buckets filled with food, there were also a few guards stationed within the area.

I slowly wandered down the line of stables, stroking the noses of the horses that sniffed at me curiously. "Do you know which one I rose when they brought me here?" I asked Adrian, who watched me from a few steps away.

"No, I'm afraid I don't." He told me, looking slightly confused.

I suppressed an eye roll. I doubted he ever came here just for the fun of it.

I instead walked up to the two guards who were stationed a short distance away. I stood before them. "Were either of you present when I was... brought to the castle yesterday?" I asked, almost using the word _kidnapped_ or _captured_ by accident.

The uniformed men looked started that I had spoken to them directly. And they shared a glance before one of them cleared his throat. "Yes, My Lady. I was there." He said, looking almost guilty by his confession.

"Are you able to tell me which horse I was riding?" I asked.

He smiled sheepishly. "Yes, Ma'am. The grey mare on the left." He said, gesturing to the horse who was watching me from across the yard.

"Thank you." I said before rushing over to the mare, who greeted me with a whinny. I wondered if she remembered me.

I stroked her soft nose with my scarred hands; she nudged her nose into the crook of my arm in response.

"Hello, Ame. It's nice to finally see you." I said as I admired the sheer beauty of the mare. She was dappled grey, which blended into black down her legs.

Someone cleared their throat from behind me, and I realised I wasn't here alone.

I turned and saw Adrian regarding me with a strange look on his face. I was not going to apologise. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at him expectantly.

"Will you join me for dinner tonight?" He asked suddenly.

I was about to reject his offer straight away, and he knew it too. But he spoke before I could get the words out.

"We won't be the only ones there. I thought it would be a good idea for you to properly meet some of the other residents of the castle." He said quickly. I wondered what would happen to me if I declined his offer. Would I be punished?

I weighed up my options before lifting my chin slightly. "Yes. I'll join you for dinner." I said tensely.

He gave me one of those wide grins again before clapping his hands together once. "Wonderful news. We will meet in the great dining room at 7. Your... helper will help you prepare and show you where to go. I have matters that I must attend to now, but I look forward to seeing you tonight." He said before bowing once more and walking away at a surprisingly fast pace. I wondered if the only reason he had offered to show me around was to convince me to dine with him tonight.

-xXx-

Alberta was already in my bedroom when I walked through the door, she was hanging a long clothing bag on the armoire. I assumed that was what I had to wear tonight. I dreaded finding out what was inside.

"Hello, dear." She said with a smile as entered. "The bath is ready for you when you like." She continued to say. I thanked her and made my way to the bathing chamber that was filled with steam. I undressed and sank into the tub.

The water was warm and smelt like freshly cut flowers. I could feel my tense muscles relaxing as they were submerged in the water.

Once I had scrubbed myself clean, I dressed in the undergarments and robe that Alberta had left out for me before going back into the bedroom where she was still pottering around.

"First, your hair and face." She said as she gestured for me to sit down on the chair she had pulled out. She started teasing the ends of my hair with a comb. I was not used to being pampered. "Is all of this really necessary?" I asked as I tried to keep my face void of expression.

"Yes. You are dining with royals and important courtiers tonight. You must look your best." She said as she pulled the front strands of my hair back and clipped them at the back of my head.

I tried to stop the nerves from settling in. Why on earth was I dining with royals tonight when I was nothing but a homeless Assassin?

Next, she unearthed some cosmetic powder and patted it onto my face. She then painted what looked like but I hoped was not ink into my eyelashes, embarrassingly making my eyes water. I had never worn makeup before. She painted my lips with a dark red colour.

"Next, the dress." She gestured for me to stand up in the centre of the room. She pulled the dress out of the bag that had been protecting it.

I wasn't sure that the word dress was the correct term used to describe the thing.

It was more of a gown, really. It looked like something only a Queen could ever get away with wearing. I wasn't sure I had seen such a grand gown before.

It had thick, finely made skirts that flowed down from the waist all the way to the ground. The whole thing was a deep burgundy in colour; the sleeves looked like such a delicate material I was worried they would rip the moment my arms slipped through them.

"If you'd like to remove your robe, I'll help you into the gown. We must be very careful with it." I gave Alberta a horrified look when she suggested I stand in nothing but my under things in front of her.

"You have nothing to worry about with me, Love." She said encouragingly.

I took a deep breath and shrugged the robe off my shoulders, before throwing it onto the bed.

I crossed my arms over my stomach. I could practically feel her gaze roaming over my battered and bruised skin.

I didn't have to look in the mirror to know that I my body was a mess of bruises from the past few days. And living on the streets and killing people had gifted me with hundreds of scrapes and scars all over my body, as well as making the edges of my form hard and angular rather than soft and shapely like other women's.

Alberta didn't say a word and instead helped me step into the gown. I slipped my arms through the sleeves and was surprised to see that they fit perfectly.

"This is no doubt your first time wearing a corset, so I'll tie it loose for you. But you'll be expected to wear it tighter as time goes on." She said as she tied up the ribbons at the back of the gown, effectively pushing the breath out of my lungs. I wasn't sure what she had meant by her comment, was I going to be wearing gowns like this often?

"Just breathe deeply and you'll get used to it." She said.

"I didn't realise I'd _have_ to get used to it. Why am I going to fancy dinners when the only reason I am here is to do the King's dirty work for him?" I said suddenly. Alberta looked shocked at my outburst, this was probably the first time I had shown any real emotion towards her, but she looked sympathetic.

Though I didn't need her sympathy, I needed answers.

"I'm so sorry, Rose. I'm not at liberty to say anything. Just know that you will be safe and looked after here. But if you want my advice, listen carefully to what you are being told, and being asked to do, and do not be taken for a fool." She said as she straightened out the dress and added a few finishing touches.

She held out some heels and placed them on the floor in front of my feet. "I've never worn heels before." I said.

"Just concentrate on where you are walking and pretend they're not there." She said as a way of giving advice.

Finally, she came up behind me and clipped a necklace around my neck.

The neckline of the dress dipped lower than I would have felt comfortable wearing, and the necklace was a delicate thing which felt far too precious for me to be wearing, just like everything else in this ensemble.

Alberta opened the left door to the armoire, revealing a full length mirror that was hanging on the inside.

I looked like everything I hated in this world. I looked stuck up and royal and rich and yet I looked like a broken and beaten young girl as well. I was a street rat dressed as a well bred thoroughbred. I was an Assassin dressed as a Princess.

I couldn't tear my eyes away.

"You look lovely." Alberta commented from beside me.

She wasn't wrong though, I could barely recognise myself.

My face was cleared of its imperfections, the colour of my lips matched the colour of the dress that gripped my waist and flowed down to the ground.

A knock sounded at the door then. "Ah, that will be the boys, come to escort you to the dining room." She said as she went and opened the door, revealing Ashford and Castille, both gaping when they saw me dressed as I was.

"Shut your mouths, you'll catch flies." I told them while making my way to the door. "Thank you so much for this, Alberta. You are an artist." I told her. She simply smiled in response before ushering us out of the door, mumbling about the consequences of us being late.

The guards were silent until we reached the large doorway that must lead to the dining hall. "Good luck Rose." Ashford mumbled sheepishly before knocking on the door, they both then stationed themselves on either side of the door, where I assumed they would stay all night until the dinner was over.

The door opened from the other side, revealing an incredibly enormous room. Grand paintings dominated every wall while a large and incredibly expensive looking table stood in the centre of the room. There had to be at least 20 chairs around the table, though only 5 of them were occupied with people sitting in them, and one place setting was made up, waiting for me.

Guards lined each wall, all stood at attention, and all eyes drew to me when I stepped into the room.

My feet ached from the heels already and I could barely breathe, but I managed to slap what I hoped was a confident and careless expression onto my painted face, as Prince Ivashkov, Dimitri Belikov, and two courtiers I didn't recognise stared at me from across the room.

Though the fifth face was the one that unnerved me the most. King Ivashkov sat at the head of the table with a predatory smile on his pale face. I was going to dine with the King; I had a terribly bad feeling about this.

 **There we have Chapter 5! I didn't get quite as far in this chapter as I had planned, I had planned to write the dinner in this chapter but the exploring with Adrian seemed to last too long. But do not fret; the dinner scene will be along next chapter! One of our first plot twists will be revealing itself next chapter and I can tell you probably won't like it, but I can promise you that all is not what it seems. And just so you don't get your hopes up, the unknown courtiers are not Lissa and Christian, though I had considered it, but they will be making an appearance later in the story. Anyway, thank you so much for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing, I really appreciate every single one of you. Please let me know what you think of the chapter, I really hope you enjoyed it!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Ah, here's our guest. Why don't you take a seat?" King Ivashkov greeted with a sickening smile when I entered the room. He gestured for me to sit beside Adrian, who was sitting to his Fathers right.

For one doubtful moment, I considered simply turning and running in the opposite direction. But I saw the look in the King's eyes. I was not allowed to leave until he told me I could.

I walked over to the table, trying my hardest not to trip in the heels and the long skirts of the gown.

I tried to calm my breathing and appear relaxed and calm.

One of the guards stepped forward and pulled my chair out for me, I muttered a thank you when he tucked the chair in behind me.

Captain Belikov was sat directly opposite me, and his gaze was unwavering as he watched me sit down. The look in his eyes set my blood on fire and I couldn't quite explain why.

I watched as a man dressed in a suit filled my glass with what I assumed was champagne before topping up the other glasses around the table.

There were two additional people in our dinner party that I did not recognise. A man and a woman.

The man was watching me very closely, he had platinum blonde hair with pale blue eyes, despite his pale complexion, his features were harsh and sharp, and his eyes reminded me of a snake. The girl also had a pale complexion; blue eyes and blonde hair. She wore a beautiful pink dress and had child-like features, almost like a doll. She also regarded me curiously, but hers was more of a shy curiosity rather than the dangerous look her companion gave me.

"Let me introduce you." The King said from the head of the table. "Rose Hathaway, this is Lord Zeklos and Lady Rinaldi. Lord and Lady, this is Lady Hathaway, she is visiting from overseas." The King explained. His words brought me up short, what was the reasoning behind his lie? These people clearly did not know my true purpose for being here. I doubted they would be comfortable knowing they were dining with the Kingdom's most dangerous assassin.

"Jesse. Jesse Zeklos." The man leant over the table and whispered under his breath to me. The girl looked embarrassed by his actions. I leant back in my seat, as far away from him as possible. Everyone around the table watched the interaction, and while everyone else looked unbothered by the man's behaviour, Dimitri looked tense and uncomfortable.

"Now that everyone is here, I will propose a toast." The King declared.

I had never heard of a toast being proposed before, and so I sat stupidly while everyone around the table raised their glasses that were filled with champagne. Adrian nudged me gently with his shoulder and indicated that I should do the same with my own glass. And so I mimicked their actions and raised the glass in front of me.

"To new beginnings, and a better future." The King said before lifting his glass to his lips and taking a sip. I waited until everyone else took a drink before I took a tentative sip of the liquid in the glass.

The liquid was filled with bubbles that danced down my throat. I had never tasted anything like it. It was incredibly sweet and immediately had me wanting to take another sip.

Some kind of soup was served first; it was warm and fresh and served with soft bread. It took a lot of strength for me to use a spoon instead of lifting the bowl and drinking the whole thing down in one. But I doubted the eyes around this table would enjoy that, and I didn't want to spoil the dress that was currently suffocating me.

During this time, I learnt that the two other dinner guests usually lived in a city a short while away from the Castle, but they had come to visit to announce their engagement. Which I thought was odd as they didn't look very fond of each other at all.

Once the soup bowls were cleared and our glasses were refilled again, another course of food was placed in front of each of us. This time it was a large slab of meat, which was cooked to perfection according to the words of the King and his son, it was accompanied on the plate with vegetables and perfectly cooked potatoes.

I was full after the soup, but forced most of the meat down if only so it didn't go to waste.

Lady Rinaldi had left a large portion of her soup and had barely touched the meat. The thought of all that food going to waste made me head spin, knowing that it could have kept me fed for a week not too long ago.

Dessert was a rich chocolate gateau; I had to suppress a moan when I took the first bite. I had never tasted anything quite as incredible as that.

I found Belikov watching me with mild amusement as I struggled through the whole slice. I wanted to ask him what the hell he thought he was staring at, but then I remembered that the King was at the end of the table and I didn't want to be starting any fights. I would take it out on him tomorrow at training.

Once the plates were cleared and our glasses were refilled for the third or fourth time, the King got all of our attention.

"I did not invite you all here simply to celebrate the engagement of Lord Zeklos and Lady Rinaldi, but also to announce the engagement of another couple." He said with a deadly smile as he regarded me closely.

I felt my heartbeat pick up its pace and I felt like my lungs were being crushed in a death grip.

"Congratulations to my son, Adrian, on your engagement to Lady Hathaway."

My heartbeat stopped. My breathing stopped. The whole world stopped.

I had to get out of here. This couldn't be true. What on earth was he doing? Why would he want me to marry his son?

My fists clenched beneath the table. I was about to stand up and tell the King what I really thought about him when Adrian's hand slammed down on my knee and squeezed harder than I could have thought possible. I had to suppress a flinch. Of course, he would have known about this.

Was that a warning or a threat?

The pieces slowly started to fit together. Adrian taking me out around the castle earlier to try and win my favour. Belikov must have told The King that I was worthy of being his assassin or he never would have let this happen. I was going to start killing people for the King, but his people couldn't know it was me or they would get rid of me. This was the perfect disguise. No one would ever suspect the Prince's fiancée as a heartless killer.

I felt like such a fool. Everyone here likely knew about the King's scheming plans, everyone except me of course.

The Lord and Lady both congratulated me and my new fiancé. Dimitri, however, did not say a word. I had a feeling he had no reason to lie and put on a facade in front of these people.

"Lord Zeklos, Lady Rinaldi, if you'd excuse us, we have matters to discuss in private." The King said after a while. Zeklos looked annoyed for a moment before the doll-faced girl tugged on the sleeve of his suit. His fist clenched but he reluctantly stood. They both bowed respectively to all of us before leaving. I had to assume that the only person Zeklos would let talk to him like that was the King. He didn't look like he appreciated being told what to do.

Adrian released my knee from its iron grip as soon as the door was shut behind the couple.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed.

"You watch your tongue." The King snapped. "I have done you a favour, Assassin. You can live in luxury for the rest of your life in return for doing what you have been doing for years already. Nobody can know that you are my Assassin, and so this is your cover story." He said, gesturing to Adrian and I.

I couldn't help it; I gave a panicked look to Captain Belikov, who gave me the barest of nods in what I could only assume was encouragement.

"It would be too easy for me to get rid of you if you refuse." The King added.

So that was it, either follow his stupid orders or I die.

My muscles were so tense I thought they might snap. And though he tried to hide it, the Captain looked just as tense as I did.

My head was starting to feel fuzzy from the bubble filled drink, but it was clear now.

"Your first target will be Lord Zeklos. Do you understand?" The King told me, looking unwaveringly into my eyes.

I couldn't hide the shock from my face. "Him?" I questioned.

"You are not permitted to ask questions." He snapped back. "Lord Zeklos has been selling information to a neighbouring Kingdom about my Castle and my armies, and he must be stopped." He told me, his voice did not leave room for argument.

"They are due to leave in two days. You will complete your task before then. If you understand your mission, you are free to leave." He explained, he held my eye contact for a moment later. His eyes held more threat than his words ever could. If I failed I would die, if I refused I would die.

I kept my face void of emotion the way I had mastered since I was young and stood up. "I understand." I said before stepping away from the table and walking away.

I did not say goodnight. I did not bow. I did not say a word. I did not like to be controlled or confined. The door closed with a thud behind me and I released the breath that I had been holding.

Ashford and Castille flanked me on my way back to my bedroom.

"Are you alright?" Ashford asked after we had been walking in silence for a few minutes.

The guards exchanged a look; I found it interesting that these men could have whole conversations with each other without saying a word. Their training must have imbedded such a bond between each and every one of them that words were not even necessary.

"Sorry. It's just that we're not really supposed to talk to you... or anyone really." He continued to explain, looking almost sheepish; it made him look younger and more innocent than he really was.

"That's ok, I don't mind. And I won't tell anyone, I promise." I said sincerely. I was tired of people putting on acts around me in this place. It would be nice to have people to talk to, after all.

"Are you sure you're alright? Is it true you're engaged to Prince Ivashkov?" Ashford asked again.

"I'm fine, and apparently so." I replied, monotone.

They looked shocked, but didn't say anything else as we reached my bedroom door.

"Thank you. Goodnight." I said before opening the door and walking in.

What greeted me inside the room made me stop short.

A swarm of black material was hanging from the armoire. Black leather boots were placed at the bottom, with thick, tight black pants hanging above them. A black tunic also hung there, with the King's crown embroidered onto the arm. What struck me most about the outfit was the cloak. It was long and beautiful and looked as if it could float on air, the hood looked as if it would conceal my face, and there was also a mask that would hide my mouth and nose. I would be dark and deadly. Like a shadow moving in the night. Hanging over the back were two leather straps that looked like they would cross over my shoulders and breasts and hold two long swords, though there were no weapons in sight I imagined this outfit had lots of space to conceal hidden weapons, and if it didn't already then I would make some myself.

I admired the masterpiece for a few more moments before I hung it in the armoire and set to work on untying the corset from my back, but not before I flung the heels off my aching feet.

I had to admit that this task would be a hell of a lot easier if Alberta were here to untie the corset, but she wasn't and I didn't know where I could find her within these endless stone walls.

It took what felt like hours but I finally had the gown off. I left it in a pile on the floor for a moment before thinking better of it. Alberta had told me how precious and important this dress was, and so I hung it up inside the armoire with a sigh.

I only had just enough strength to wash the makeup off my face before collapsing into a heap of limbs on the bed.

Though unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get my brain to turn off.

I could think of nothing but the King's deadly eyes and the fact that I had to kill a man I had dined with that night.

I was not worried, exactly, about ending the man's life. My first impressions of him were that he was a pompous and arrogant man. I knew I would feel no guilt for ending his life, he seemed like an ass. But what of his fiancée? How would she fare once her partner meets a brutal end? She seemed pleasant enough; perhaps I would be doing her a favour.

I had been tossing and turning for hours, it must have been the early hours of the morning when I decided I could not stay in this bed for a moment longer. I slipped out of the warm sheets and pulled on my training leggings and tunic. I also pulled the cloak down from where it rested on its hanger and slipped it over my shoulders and tied it around my neck. It flowed down to the ground smoothly; it appeared as if I was wrapped in shadows.

I knew where I was heading as soon as I was out of the door. I crept through the castle silently, grateful that I didn't pass anyone on my way.

The stables were near silent when I arrived, the familiar scent of straw and horse hit my nose and I found it comforting in a way.

I approached Ame's stable and poked my head over the door, she lifted her head when she saw me and snorted in recognition. I found that there was a smile on my face.

"I didn't expect to see you here." A familiar accented voice murmured from behind me, how had he managed to approach me without making a sound?

I turned to see Captain Belikov watching me with an amused expression on his face. His arms were crossed over his chest; he was wearing the same pants and shirt as he was earlier, though now the first few top buttons were undone, revealing pronounced collarbones and a few dark chest hairs poking out of the space that was revealed. His hair was loose; I had only ever seen him wear it up.

"I could say the same thing to you." I said lightly.

"I see you have finally met Ame properly." He commented as he slowly came and stood beside me, we both observed her from our position behind the stable door.

"Yes, I saw her earlier today." I replied as I trailed my hand down her soft neck.

I watched as his strong hand stroked its way down her nose. "I know. The guards mentioned to me that you were interested to know which one you had ridden on your way here." He said.

"Well, I figured I should at least thank her. It couldn't have been very nice having to carry me all the way here; I was unconscious for most of it after all." I responded.

I thought I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye. "Do you like the cloak?" He asked as he turned to look at me, his eyes hovering for a moment on the cloak before returning to my face.

"Yes, I do. Did you have something to do with this? I assumed it was Alberta." I replied honestly.

"She prepared the outfit under the Kings Guidance, but I added the cloak." He said before turning back and watching the mare as she nuzzled at a pile of hay on the ground.

"Thank you." I said.

"Have you ridden horses much before?" He asked while catching my eye once more. His eyes held my focus every time he looked at me, they were such an endless brown colour I thought I might get lost in them.

"A few times." I responded.

"Would you like to go for a ride?" He asked suddenly, almost like if he didn't ask now, he might never.

"Right now?"

"Right now." He replied, a hint of adventure lit up his eyes and I found myself responding to it.

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do." I said, not able to contain the smile that forced its way onto my face.

 **There we have Chapter 6! Thanks so much for all the reviews, favourites and follows, you literally have no idea how much it means to me! I really hope you like this chapter, but please let me know what you think! I had a job interview today, well, for an apprenticeship actually, which is similar to an internship I think that's what they're called in America? It was pretty much the first proper interview I've ever had so I was incredibly nervous, but I got home a few hours later and they called me up and said that they'd like to offer me the job! And while this is super exciting, it likely means that as of around March time I won't be able to write as much because its full time and long hours, but I promise I won't give up on this story as I'm loving writing it! Anyway, just thought I'd give you a quick update, sorry for rambling. Thank you all so much for all of your support and for reading, please let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

I watched intently as Dimitri tacked up the horses, I had never tacked up a horse before, and I wanted to learn how to do it without openly asking him how. He prepared Ame for me as well as his own tall black stallion which he explained was called Storm, I thought the name suited him.

Dimitri walked Ame out of her stable and stood her beside me. "Do you want me to give you a leg-up?" he asked, while looking at my height compared to the horses. I wanted to say no, but she was a rather large horse and my muscles still ached from the past few days.

Reluctantly, I said yes.

Dimitri crouched down and ran his hands down my leg until one gripped my calf and the other gripped my thigh. His hands were firm but gentle, and I could feel their heat through my leggings. It set my blood on fire.

"1,2,3." He said and I jumped and swung my leg over the horse and with the help of Dimitri I ended up sitting comfortably in the saddle.

Next, Dimitri pulled his horse out of his stable and jumped up onto the giant steeds back with no trouble at all. The sight was mesmerising.

"Ready?" He asked as he pulled his stallion up beside me.

I nodded in response and we walked out steeds out of the yard and into the open, the sun was making its way up in the sky.

We didn't speak as we walked down a dirt path through the woodland; instead we just enjoyed the sights and sounds in silence.

We came across a large circle made out of sand that was mostly obscured by bushes and trees, but I still noticed it. I wondered if Dimitri didn't want me to see it, because he didn't say anything as we passed it and instead he spurred his horse on to a faster walk.

"What is that?" I asked as we passed it. He ignored my question.

"Dimitri." I called. I did not like being ignored.

He finally sighed and stopped his horse, waiting for me to catch up with him.

I realised that was the first time I had addressed him by his first name, and part of me was surprised to find that he hadn't scolded me for it yet.

"It's a very old training and battle ring. From the days when nearly everyone had a power. The sand was used so that the ground wasn't ruined during training or a fight, there was once a fence around it and seats for people to come and watch." He said before carrying on into a walk, I managed to keep up with him this time.

"Do you have a power?" I asked him carefully. I knew that Adrian and his Father had the power of ice. But I didn't know anything about Dimitri, not really. And it wasn't always a good thing to have a power, sometimes it was frowned upon by society, depending on who you were and what your ability was.

The wind picked up then, so fast and hard that my face stung from where my hair whipped at it. My cloak was a mess of shadows billowing behind me. And then as quick as it started, the wind stopped. And then the snow came. Soft flurries of white snow poured down all around us. The gentle snow soon turned into harsh hail, and the hailstones thundered down against my face and hands. And then the hail stopped and lightning bolted down to the ground barely a few feet away from us. And then it all stopped and Dimitri was breathing a little more heavily than he had been before. The horses seemed unaffected by the sudden changes in weather, and I had to assume that they were used to this man's antics.

"You can control the weather." I whispered, completely mesmerised.

He huffed a humourless laugh. "I have a slight control over the elements. It's nothing special." He said.

I looked at him then, completely bewildered. "There was nothing slight about that. It was incredible." I said. He looked back at me then and he seemed to find something in my expression, because he didn't look away right away. "Does this mean you're royalty or something?" I asked.

He laughed properly then, as if what I was saying was completely ridiculous. "No. No way. I guess the trait just stayed in my bloodlines a little longer than most other people." He explained, before holding my gaze and asking a very odd question. "Have you ever felt power running through your veins before?"

The question drew me up short. Why would he ask that? I had always felt powerful, yes. But I had always known I had never had an actual power. I am not royalty, after all. But then, I when I thought about it, there had been moments when my blood felt so hot I that I thought it might pour out of me like lava. But that would be ridiculous to admit out loud. "No. Of course not." I replied. "Why did you ask that?"

He looked away when I asked that, and I knew that he had seen my hesitation, he had seen me think about it for a moment. "No reason, the King had a suspicion, so I thought I'd ask."

"The King thinks I have some kind of power? Why would he think that?" I demanded.

"I don't know. But he asked me to find out."

I rolled my eyes then. "Why do you obey him so blindly?" I asked without thinking.

I saw his fists clench. "What do you mean?" He asked. But I knew he knew what I meant.

"I know all the Guards are loyal to the King, they have to be, I suppose. But you, you practically radiate loyalty when you look at him, I just wondered why." I asked, feeling stupid.

"He helped me a long time ago, and I feel like I owe him from that." He said, before looking away and effectively ending the conversation.

We found ourselves back at the stables before too long. Despite the new information I had gained on this ride, I felt like the fresh air had cleared my head. I still had too much to worry about, though. I knew I had to kill tonight, and I had just found out that the King thinks I have some kind of power. I wondered why he would think that.

We untacked the horses and left them eating their breakfast as we headed over to the training room.

The room looked the same as it had yesterday when I first saw it, but the fireplace was filled with burning logs today, I had barely noticed it was there yesterday. I felt its heat the moment we walked into the room.

Dimitri crossed the room towards the weapons wall where he yanked down the sword I had used yesterday, his was already hanging by his side.

He held the sword by the blade this time, and pointed the handle towards me. The exact opposite of yesterdays test. I knew that today, he was testing me to see if I would pull the sword away too soon and cut his hand.

I held his gaze as I gripped the hilt of the sword, and we stood like that for a moment, neither of us moving.

Then suddenly his sword was in his hand and swinging towards me, I lifted mine just in time to block his attack. I squared my shoulders and planted my feet evenly on the ground.

I shoved his sword back with my own before swinging it at him, he blocked it easily but looked impressed by the manoeuvre.

Sweat was collecting at my lower back by the time Belikov called our sparring to a stop for a break.

We rested for a moment and drank from glasses of water that had been left by the grand fireplace. Hot coals crackled in the hearth and I watched them glow.

"What does the King think my power is? If by some ridiculous miracle I had one." I asked after debating with myself for some time.

He didn't answer for a while, and I looked up to see him watching me. "Fire." He said quietly, as if he didn't want someone to hear.

My blood in my veins seemed to respond to the word, and it made me feel uneasy. "How would we know if what he thought was... true? Surely I'd know by now." I said.

"Not necessarily, some people have an ability and never find out, some find out by accident. It depends, it's different in everyone. It's all about feeling and emotion." He replied, his voice seemed almost husky by the end of it, and I was sure I could hear a wind howling outside.

I had barely any feelings _or_ emotions so no wonder I had no power.

I stood up and approached the fireplace; I knelt down beside it and felt the heat roll over my skin. "What are you doing?" I heard Belikov asking from somewhere behind me, I ignored him.

I shoved my hand into the fire.

"Rose!" I heard from behind me, but it sounded as if he was miles away.

My hand felt hot, but I felt no pain. I felt awake and alive for the first time in years.

And as soon as it started, it ended. I was yanked by my waist and before I knew it I was being pinned down on the floor by a very large and heavy Dimitri.

He clutched my wrist in his hand and pinned it to the floor above my head. He was inspecting it closely as his body pinned mine down to the ground, most likely so I couldn't try anything like that again.

"Are you fucking insane?" He yelled as his eyes finally met mine.

I could see a fire in his eyes, but I realised that the fire I could see in his eyes was the reflection of mine.

I yanked my hand out of his grip and looked at it myself. There was not a single burn or mark to be seen.

"What does this mean?" I asked, meeting the Captains gaze again.

"It's true." He said. "You can't tell anyone about this, not until you have it under control. It'll be harder now you know about it, now it's been awoken. You can't tell the King or Adrian or Alberta or anyone, not yet." He demanded.

"Ok, ok. I won't tell anyone." I promised.

We stayed like that for a moment, every inch of him was pressed up against every inch of me and I wasn't sure I had ever been this close to another human before.

But then he came to his senses and he sprang off me as if I had shocked him.

"I think that's enough for today." He said before hanging my sword up on the wall where it belonged and walking out of the room without so much as a glance back.

-xXx-

I waited and waited for the rest of the day. I waited until the sun set and the moon replaced it.

I had asked Alberta to find me a dress of a certain description. She wasn't happy about the request, it wasn't easy, and I knew she was confused, but she didn't ask questions.

But when I returned to my room after my bath the dress was there, hanging on the armoire. I wouldn't be wearing my assassin's attire tonight, no.

Instead, I dressed in cream coloured gown; it was practically see through in places. It looked similar to a nightgown, with a plunging neckline and tight around the waist until it flowed at the hips, I was pleased to see it had a slit up the leg. I hated to think about what Queen had worn this once and why.

I slipped the blades into a thigh holster I had adapted out of strips of leather and slipped out of my room. I waited until the early hours of the morning.

I didn't know for sure that my victim would be where I thought he would be, but he had been there the night before.

I was on my way to the stables the morning before when I saw a masculine figure sitting on one of the plush seats at the top of one of the many staircases in this castle. He was slouched and intoxicated and it was dark, but I recognised him as Lord Zeklos.

I didn't know for sure whether it was a nightly occurrence that he would sit there and drink himself silly, but I had to hope.

I was barefoot tonight; I didn't want to make my presence known to anyone other than who was meant to know.

I had a plan, but it was very specific, there was one way it could go right and one hundred ways it could go wrong, and I only had one chance at this.

And if I was lucky, no one would know it was me, it would simply be a tragic accident.

I heard a man whistling a tune I didn't recognise and knew I was in luck.

I ruffled my hair and took a deep breath before rounding the corner. The whistling stopped when I came into view.

"Damn. Do you always walk around at night dressed like that?" Jesse Zeklos asked from where he was lounged across the chair with a bottle hanging from his hand.

"Sometimes." I said as I stopped and stood in front of him. His eyes roamed my form savagely and I felt completely exposed.

I walked past him so that my leg brushed up against his hand, the one holding the bottle. The bottle fell to the carpeted floor with a thud, and I heard the contents spill.

I leant up against the wall at the top of the stairs and bent my leg so that my thigh and knee was revealed through the slit in the dress.

His eyes followed the movement as he sat up and approached me.

My heart was thundering in my chest but I gave him a sultry smile.

"Congratulations on your engagement." He whispered as he stood in front of me, mere inches away.

"Congratulations to you too." I said with a smile.

Then his hand gripped my thigh so hard I thought it might bruise and his lips pressed against my neck.

I had to fight all my natural instincts to throw this brute off me, but I needed to do this. Just a few more seconds.

His lips and tongue were so very sloppy against the untouched skin of my neck, and I tried so hard not to cringe as he groped me savagely.

I ran my steady hand up his chest and into his hair where I gripped it hard and yanked it away from me. He looked shocked for a moment but it soon morphed into fear as my other hand gripped his throat, digging my nails into the flesh there. I shoved my knee into his most revolting and sensitive part and pushed him down the stairs.

He rolled over and over again before coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. He lay in a moaning tangle of limbs, most of which were bent at unusual angles.

I took my time walking down the stairs after him.

When I reached him, he was sobbing.

I crouched down beside him. "Help me, you stupid bitch." He groaned through clenched teeth. A line of blood trailed down the corner of his mouth.

"No." Was all I said as I gripped his hair in my fist once more and slammed his head down against the corner of the bottom step.

I did it again for luck.

I pressed my fingers to the pulse point in his neck and waited until the slow thumping beneath my fingers stopped completely.

I did him the honour of closing his lifeless eyes, not that he deserved it.

I stood up and straightened out the dress before making my way back up the stairs.

I didn't even make it up the first step before I noticed the eyes on me.

I looked up to see Dimitri standing at the top of the stairs.

I hesitated for a moment before carrying on. "You didn't touch the bottle did you?" I asked.

"No." He replied, his voice was monotone.

"Good. Leave it there. It will be less suspicious when they find him with a bottle close by."

"That's it? You just kill him and walk away? Where is the honour in that?" He questioned as he clenched his fists, I found myself doing the same.

"He didn't deserve an honourable death." I growled. "How much did you see?" I asked .

"All of it." He responded as he watched me.

"Then you will have seen that despite his fiancée sleeping in one of the rooms in this castle, he wouldn't have stopped no matter what. And I know I was asking for it, that's why I'm wearing this stupid dress." I said, gesturing to my revealing outfit. "But not everybody wants to be approached by a man with liquor on his breath and clammy hands that won't stop their wandering no matter what you do, irrelevant of what they wear. I was following orders, I was doing my job. That's why I was brought here, so don't get sentimental on me." I said before walking away in the direction I had come.

"What, you're just going to leave him there?" He asked after me.

"Yes. Someone will find him in the morning at it will look like an accident. So don't touch anything." I said before rounding the corner and walking through the darkness until I reached my bedroom.

I went to sleep wondering what else the King would have in store for me now that I had completed his first mission.

 **There we have Chapter 7! I hope you're all well and I really hope this chapter was ok and that I didn't go too far with any of the Jesse bits, I know it barely scratched the surface of what can really happen in real life but I also know it can be upsetting for some people to read, so I just hope it was ok for everyone. I also just wanted to say thank you so much for all the reviews for last chapter, and to everyone that congratulated me on the job, it really means so much to me that you all take the time to read my stories and to comment, follow and favourite them. So yeah, thank you so much! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up to a loud thudding at the door. "Wake up. Be ready in one minute or I will drag you out whether you are ready or not." I heard the accented voice yell from behind the closed door.

I groaned as my muscles protested while I climbed out of the warm bed and dressed in my clean tunic and leggings as quickly as I could. I was just tying the laces of my boots up when the door was thrown open with a bang and Captain Belikov stormed in, bringing in a cold breeze with him.

"Jeez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." I said as I stood up straight and followed him out of the room before he could drag me out himself.

"This is not the time for jokes. The King has requested your presence and he does not wait for anyone." He said as we walked down the hallways, I struggled to keep up with his fast pace.

A part of me wondered if Dimitri was being exceptionally harsh with me because he'd seen me end a life the night before. He knew why I was here, hell; he had been the one to drag me here in the first place. But I had been broken when we first met, and I knew he thought very little of me. But now he knew what I was capable of, and I wondered if that had somehow affected his view on me. I wasn't entirely sure why I cared, but I reluctantly found myself being bothered by what he thought of me.

I caught the reflection of myself in one of the many windows that lined the walls down the endless hallways; it looked like a rodent had made a bed on my head. I ran my fingers through my long dark hair as we approached the looming doors of the throne room.

We walked straight through the doors and into the throne room without knocking. The King stood up from his throne when we entered.

Dimitri bowed slightly, but didn't kneel like he had done the first time I had entered this room.

The walls were still lined with guards and Prince Ivashkov stood to his Father's right. I realised with a thought of terror that the man standing there was my fiancé, and I had only met him properly once. The thought of being forced into a marriage to that man made my blood boil with anger and disgust. It wasn't that he was not attractive, because he was incredibly so. And he had seemed pleasant enough during our one and only encounter. But something about him made me uneasy, and I did not like being forced into things.

"Did you kill him? Lord Zeklos, did you kill him?" The King demanded, effectively bringing me out of my escalating thought process.

I noticed the King's wrinkled hand gripped the hilt of his sword as if he might slice it through the flesh of my neck if he detected a lie in my voice. Ice covered the throne and floor around it; it even started creeping up the walls behind the throne. My breath clouded in the air as it escaped my mouth and I wondered if the King made it so bitterly cold in here on purpose. Probably to make him look even more threatening to his enemies.

"Yes." I replied sharply in response to his question.

"How?" He growled through yellowing teeth.

I explained that I had seen the Lord intoxicated the night before and hoped that he would be there again. I explained that I simply pushed him down the stairs and made sure the job was finished at the bottom.

"Just like that?" He asked, challenging me.

"Yes, Sir. Just like that." I replied.

He smiled then; the look was dangerous on him. "Congratulations. You will find your next target by the docks in town. He has been illegally selling our goods to the neighbouring Kingdom. Captain Belikov will accompany you, but you must do it alone. I will assume that I do not need to remind you what will happen if you fail. You are free to leave." He said, dismissing me by the end.

I gave no indication that I had even heard him; instead I turned around and walked out of the door with Belikov hot on my heels.

I let Dimitri overtake me, so he could lead the way. We walked all the way out of the castle and into the gardens. We walked past the stables and past the hidden lake through the woodlands until we reached the ring of sand that I had first seen yesterday.

"No weapons today. We're just going to sit." He said as we walked to the middle of the circle and he sat on the ground.

I stood for a moment, not moving. "What for? And why are we here?" I asked, my doubt and curiosity of any unknown situation taking over.

"Sit." He ordered. "We are going to sit and think and connect with our powers. And it's more private out here, not completely so, but there are less eyes out here." He said. I had only ever seen a handful of people milling around the castle, so I wasn't entirely sure what eyes he was talking about, but I sat down opposite him all the same.

"I don't have any powers." I protested as my bottom connected with the hard earth.

"You know you do, you just need to connect with them. Now, rest your hands facing upwards on your knees and close your eyes." I did what he said, though I didn't close my eyes.

I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was to vulnerable with my eyes closed. Anything could happen within the space of a second and I would have no idea what was coming.

He held my gaze for a moment, and as if he could read my mind, he spoke softly. "Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise."

No one had ever promised me anything before, and I wasn't sure how to respond to it.

I searched his eyes for any hint of a lie, and found nothing but pure honesty there. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, allowing my other senses to take over. I could hear birds chirping somewhere in the distance, and I could smell pine from the trees and another pleasant smell which I realised was radiating off Dimitri. I inhaled deeply and the scent made something deep within my stomach twist.

I realised in that moment that it must be difficult for Belikov to sit with me and train me when I had killed someone that he had known right in front of his eyes just the night before. I knew that he was not unfamiliar with death. Though he had not told me directly, I could tell that he had dealt out death before just by the way he held himself and the way his sword seemed like a part of his body.

But killing meant something different to him. Killing was something that was done during battle; it was done for his Kingdom and for his people.

Whereas for me, killing had always been about survival, a necessity that I had become accustomed to as I grew older. And now, killing was natural, it was almost as easy as breathing.

"You have to be open minded." His accented voice reached my ears and it brought me out of my musings. His voice was low and quiet, thoughtful. "This is all new to you, so it will seem strange and it will be difficult. But you can't cut corners." He said from where he sat opposite me. "I need you to envision a flame somewhere deep in your heart. I need you to open your mind and feel everything that is inside your body. Feel the blood flowing through every branch and vein until it gets to that flame, and then cling to it." His voice was almost therapeutic. I realised I had never heard him speak this much before, and I felt myself almost leaning into it as I noticed the flame in my heard. It was small, it seemed like even the slightest wind would extinguish it completely.

I tried opening my mind, but all I found there was despair and anger and hatred. My mind belonged to a lost child and a broken woman.

Dimitri must have sensed my difficulty, because his soft voice broke through my barriers and reached my ears again.

"You need to open your mind, come to terms with the bad thoughts and the good."

I gritted my teeth; my voice came out as a whisper rather than the growl I intended it to be. "I can't." My voice sounded broken.

"Your powers are linked to your emotions, they feed off one another. You need to feel something to let it take hold." He explained. I wasn't sure how he was staying so calm.

"I. Can't." I bit out, trying not to lash out.

"You don't feel anything at all?" He asked. His question surprised me, and I could hear the surprise in his voice as he asked it, almost like he didn't truly believe it.

"Nothing useful. Only anger and despair and hatred." I replied, trying not to sound too insane.

"Those will work too. Think of everyone who has wronged you or crossed you. Think of that girl you used to be, lost and broken with no one by your side." I knew he was trying to get under my skin, he was trying to get through to me and break through the walls that were built so high around my heart.

It was working.

I thought about my old life, constantly alone and hungry, never sleeping and never stopping for too long. I thought of everyone who had stared at me like I was little more than a sewage rat. I felt my heart rate pick up its pace and a fire spread through my veins. I looked inside myself and saw that the delicate flame that had been there before was now an inferno. I didn't try to control it this time.

"I am still that girl." I said through gritted teeth. "I can feel it, the fire."

"You are not the same as you were before. Now focus on that feeling, focus on those emotions. Channel it all into your hands."

I did as he said. I felt the heat spread from my heart, through my chest and down my arms until it pooled in the palms of my hands.

"Good, now calm your breathing and steady your heartbeat. Stay calm and open your eyes." He whispered.

I opened my eyes and looked down at my hands and saw two glowing balls of fire, one in each hand.

They were about the size of a clenched fist and I could feel their heat warming my face.

I glanced up at Dimitri and saw him watching me in complete awe.

"Keep calm, concentrate on the steady beat of your heart. Now bring your hands next to each other and merge the two into one." He told me carefully.

I did as he said slowly, so slowly, bringing my hands next to each other. The balls of fire merged together as one. But rather than staying the same size as I'd expected, they doubled in size and heat instead.

Dimitri slowly leant back, finding the heat too much to bear. I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes before he tried to hide it.

Was he scared of me? Was I scared of myself? What if I couldn't control it?

The doubt spread though my mind like a fast spreading infection.

My chest rose and fell quicker as my heart started to beat out of my chest. And as my panic grew, as did the size and intensity of the fire. "Get Back." I said as I threw myself onto my knees and backed away from him, careful to keep my hands outstretched far in front of me.

Dimitri didn't move, but I backed away from him still. "How do I make it stop?" I begged him.

"You need to calm yourself. It feeds off of your emotions, the calmer you are, the calmer it will be." He said.

I tried calming my thoughts, but nothing would slow them down. I thought only of my lack of control, my deeply embedded worry and anxiety and fear as the fire continued to grow. The flames grew taller, so high that I could barely see Dimitri past the orange inferno.

I was on my feet now, internally begging some unknown power within myself to make it stop.

Dimitri slowly raised himself onto his feet and approached me with outstretched hands. He came towards me in a way that one might approach a wild beast that they were trying not to provoke.

"I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, Rose. I don't break my promises." He told me, his voice calm and unwavering.

I found his voice soothing.

He was standing in front of me now, a sheen of swear coated his forehead, making his hair stick to it where the strands escaped the band that was holding it together at the nape of his neck.

He was careful not to touch the flames when he extended his hands and gently gripped my wrists.

His skin was so soft and yet rough at the same time.

"Please let go. It will hurt you." I cried.

He gripped my wrists tighter and pushed my hands together so my palms pressed against each other. The fire vanished.

"Oh my God." I said through a shaky breath. "How did you know that would work?" I asked.

"I didn't" Dimitri said as he let out a sigh of relief, a soft gust of wind kissed my face and caused a few hairs to fall in front of my face.

"Are your hands ok?" I asked. I wasn't entirely sure why I asked or what made me care, but this man had been helping me and I could have seriously injured him.

"Yes. I think most of the heat was directed to your hands, which is good. Sometimes it can be hard to focus it all on one place." He said, still teaching me even after all of that.

The wind still circled around us, and he seemed to notice it at the same moment as I did, because it suddenly stopped and everything was still.

He still gripped my wrists in his hands, but he released one to brush the loose strands of hair behind my ear.

The gentle touch of his skin against the side of my temple sent shocks though my system. I wondered if he noticed it too, as he flinched slightly before slowly drawing his hand away and stepping back. "Let's take a break. Go and have some lunch, I'm still not convinced that you are eating enough. We'll meet in the training room later for some more work on weapons."

We both stood for a moment longer, simply assessing each other. I was trying to figure out what this man really wanted from me. But I eventually decided that I didn't have the strength to care in that moment and walked away.

My mind felt sluggish as I walked through the gardens and into the castle. I wanted nothing more than to go to my bedroom and rest my head on a pillow after eating my own body weight in food.

I almost yelled out in anger when someone addressed me from somewhere behind.

"Little Assassin." I clenched my fists, rolled my eyes and turned around.

Adrian Ivashkov, son of King Ivashkov, Heir to the throne, and my fiancé, was walking towards me with a sly grin on his face that immediately put me on edge.

"You look hungry. Join me for lunch." He said as he reached my side.

I _was_ hungry, but I was too tired to think about it. I wanted nothing more than to turn and walk away and pretend that I hadn't seen him. But this man held my curiosity, and the more foolish part of me wanted to know what he wanted from me.

"Your Father won't be there, will he?" I asked.

He chuckled and shook his head. "No. Don't you like him?" He questioned.

I noticed that he didn't bother holding his arm out for me to take as we walked, for which I was grateful.

"Not really, no." I replied, being completely honest.

"I could have you hanged for treason for saying those words." He said as he looked at me from the corner of his eye.

"I'm your fiancée remember, would you really send me to the death?" I asked as we entered a dining room much smaller than the one from the horrific dinner with the King and his subjects.

"I'm glad to see that you're enjoying the title so much." He said as he held out a chair and tucked it in as I sat down; he took the seat opposite me.

"I'm not enjoying it." I countered.

"Being married to a Prince? How could you not be?" He asked with a strange look in his eye.

I bet these people thought they could buy me with their money and their fine clothing and their rich food. I was little more than a homeless killer to them anyway.

"Because I don't know you. I never asked to come here." I told him.

He leant forward in his seat. "You could get to know me." He said with a dangerous glint in his eye.

"What if I don't want to?" I challenged.

"Try." Was all he said as he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box.

"Seriously?" I asked with a humourless laugh.

"I thought I would offer. I didn't know if you'd want it. I'm sorry; this is all new to me too." He said as he opened the box to reveal a beautiful golden ring, it held three generously sized diamonds on the band, they glistened in the light that shone down on us through the window.

I reached across the table, my hand hovering over the box for a moment. I saw the Prince intake a hopeful breath when he thought I was going to take the ring. Instead, I snapped the box shut. It took a lot of strength not to throw the damn thing in his face.

I knew his Father must have put him up to this, but why would the King even bother with presenting me with a ring like this? It was all a facade.

My fingers brushed his when I rejected the ring; his fingers were as cold as ice. I flinched at the feeling and he seemed to do the same.

"Your hands are boiling hot." He said. "Do you have a fever?" He asked, I thought I could hear true concern in his voice.

"No." I said before standing up. "My apologies, Prince Ivashkov, I'm really not hungry." I said, adding the perfect amount of sarcasm and venom into my words.

I turned and walked away. I was almost out of the door when I heard him speak from behind me. "Call me Adrian." He said.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was being genuine or not. All I pictured when I thought of Adrian was a boy whose Father pulled his strings. I wasn't sure if I should fear him or pity him. Neither were comforting options and neither made me trust him.

 **There we have Chapter 8! Sorry it took me a little longer than usual to update, I've been quite busy and also really ill the last few days, but I should hopefully be on the mend soon! Thank you all so much for reading this story, and for favouriting, following and reviewing, it means so much to me. Exciting news, the next chapter is going to be Dimitri's point of view and Rose is going to kick some serious ass. We'll also get a good look into his past which should be exciting as well. Anyway, thank you so much for reading and for all of your support please let me know what you think!**

 **P.s, a quick question: Have any of you ever seen any artists or bands live in concert? I'm going to see Lady Gaga on Sunday and I'm so excited!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Dimitri's Point of View.**

If there is anything that I know about this life, it is that respect is earned, honesty is appreciated, loyalty is gained and trust is returned.

The day after Rose Hathaway finally revealed her power was the day that I would have to take her from the castle and let her loose on the town beneath. I wasn't sure if the King was insane for allowing her to prowl the streets at night by herself, she was deadly.

I sensed that the woman could easily kill a man if he even looked at her the wrong way, and yet the leader of our Kingdom wanted to let her loose on his people? Something was not right.

The Assassin and I had agreed that we would work on controlling and developing her powers in the mornings, and focus on her strength, stamina and skill in the afternoons. Today would not be like that though.

I watched for hours as Hathaway sat in the middle of that circle of sand and followed my every instruction; I was surprised at just how blindly she followed my directions.

We had learnt that anger and hatred fuelled her fire more than any other emotion, and although she was good at focussing that anger and channelling it into fire, she was not so skilled at keeping it under control. One minute there would be a small flame in her nimble hands and the next there would be in inferno of flames exploding from her palms. The sleeves of her tunic had long ago turned into ash.

She had very little faith in herself but she followed my instructions exactly to the letter no matter what. She always gave it everything she had.

And even though this was only the second day she had been able to conjure fire, she had thoroughly impressed me.

I would never forget the day that I had first discovered my powers, I was 13.

One of the local boys was picking on my little sister, Viktoria.

I had seen red that day; I had never felt anger like it. It was already raining that day, but once I started to beat the boy the hail started to pour.

The hailstones were so large and heavy that they took down tiles off of rooftops and smashed windows. The boy called me crazy and people were staring and Vika was crying and then the lightning came.

It shot down from the sky all around us. I didn't know what was happening to me, but one minute was all around us and then I was overcome with the urge to hold out my hand. It took a hold of me then. The lightning _became_ me.

And then I touched the boy and he came alight.

I didn't kill him, but I know now that I easily could have done.

I only managed to stop when my Father came and pulled me off him. Vika had run and told him what was happening.

He beat me senseless and left me outside to rot after that.

No one else in the family had a power; no one else had even been known to have one in years.

We were not a rich family but my Father was a proud man, he couldn't have his family disgraced by his only son being abnormal, he would rather have no son at all.

Adrian's Mother, the Queen at the time, had found me then when she was travelling overseas. She saw my potential and brought me to the Castle, where I grew up amongst the workers and guards and horses. I was trained from that day to be the King's head of Guards, it was all I knew.

It took me years to master my power, which is why I found myself worried about the Assassin that sat in front of me.

It would be months, if not years before she could control her flame completely, and yet the King wanted to set her loose on his people later today, it was dangerous.

Thought I was surprised at the rate in which she was improving. She had already merged two fireballs into one, and when I looked back at her a moment ago there was a small flame hovering over each of her fingers. It was a sight that I would never forget. The flames made the brown in her eyes glow golden.

I had hated this strange girl when I first dragged her bag of bones into my home. She was delinquent and reckless and so very bold and angry.

I did not know how or why, but I saw some of myself in her. That rage that she felt towards the world because of what she was forced to become, and the isolation she surely felt.

Though she was different to me, she killed in different ways and she felt no guilt or remorse. I hated that I was softening towards this strange woman who held so much pain in her heart.

She had looked so terrified of herself yesterday when she had lost control of her fire. She had seen an ounce of doubt in my eyes and it had magnified her own doubt. I had wanted to touch her hair since the moment I first saw it, and it was all over her face when I brushed it behind her ear. She had been so very frightened, but her eyes softened in that moment.

She was watching me now, as she often did. She looked at me as if I were an open book that she was leisurely reading. Like every single thought I had ever had was written in bold writing across my face, no matter how ward I worked to appear emotionless.

I finally broke the silence. "We're going into town tonight. The man you need will be by the docks." I didn't need to explain _what_ she needed him for. I described everything about him to her, from the colour of his hair and beard to his height and the way he walked and talked. I had no idea who this man was, but it had been the job of my men to watch him for the past week and follow his every movement.

She listened to my words carefully, I could see the information turning over in her head as she analysed every part and filtered out what she needed and what she didn't.

"You'll need to wear the outfit. You'll be on your own. You can't fail." I wanted more than anything to warn her about the man, I wanted to tell her that he was a brute and a bully. My men had told me all about him, the way he terrorised women and fought men. He always came out on top. As desperately as I wanted to tell her, I was under strict orders, and nothing stayed secret for long in this place. Instead, I held her gaze for a long moment and hoped that my eyes told the story that my mouth could not.

I told her where we would meet and at what time before dismissing her. She wiped the sweat that had formed on her brow and walked away. Even the way she walked was purposeful and thought out. It was like she absorbed the space around her, everything else seemed less adequate when she was around.

I waited for two minutes after she left before making my own way towards the castle. The King had requested my presence.

My hand rested naturally on the hilt of my sword as I walked. I shared respectable nods with the guards and castle staff that I passed on my journey. If it were on my own time, I would greet them all by name, but I had to appear professional.

I knocked on the door of the throne room and waited to be called in before entering.

I bowed before the King when I reached the throne.

The throne room had always made me feel uneasy. A layer of ice constantly coated the throne, as well as the floor and walls around it. Part of me knew that the King did it to intimidate his enemies, but I also knew that part of it was a simple lack of control over his abilities. He was a reckless and hot headed leader. I hated to think that the smallest sleight of hand could result in a blade of ice through my heart all because my ruler had a lack of control.

The winds always picked up outside when the door closed behind me.

"Rise, Dimitri." I was in King Nathan Ivashkov's good books, and I intended to stay there.

Adrian stood to his Father's side, as he often did. He looked bored and careless and completely cocky and entitled.

Adrian and I had once been friends. We were a similar age when I first came here and Daniella, Adrian's Mother, had encouraged us to spend time together. We had trained together and were tutored together for a short while. The kind woman thought we could both use a friend.

She was an incredibly gentle woman and a loving Queen. A stain was spilt upon this Castle when she died, a stain that could not be removed no matter what. The King became corrupt and hateful when his wife was killed, and it soon transferred onto his son. Adrian gave off an image of carelessness but inside he was broken and cold. It made him unstable.

"How is the training of the Assassin coming along?" The King asked as I rose into a standing position. I linked my hands behind my back and stood naturally with my chin up and shoulder squared.

I noticed Adrian's relaxed demeanour became a little more alert at the mention of Rose's status and I found that his interest in her bothered me. He was a distraction that she did not need.

"It's going well. She is gaining strength and I'm honing her skills. She will complete the task tonight with ease." I assured him. Adrian smiled after I spoke, and it took me a moment to remember that they were engaged.

I had seen the look of pure terror on Rose's face when the King had made the announcement, and I couldn't bring myself to congratulate her as everyone else did.

"Good. I need you to keep your eyes on her at all times tonight. She must not know you are following her and you must not interfere. Even if something goes wrong, even if it looks like the man might kill her. If he does, it means she is not good enough and I don't want her. But if she succeeds and she tries to run, you must stop her. Do you understand me, Belikov?" He asked. My heart was thundering in my chest at the implications of his words.

I was a man of honesty, loyalty and truth, and agreeing to his terms meant that if she was in grave danger, I could not help her. I would have to stand and watch as she was killed or beaten or worse.

But I had come to know the mysterious Assassin, I knew how she thought and I knew how she fought. She would not be taken down easily.

I nodded my head. "I understand, Your Majesty." I said, without a word of a lie.

I hated that I would have to watch Rose and I couldn't do anything even if she was in danger. But I knew that she could handle herself, and a part of me was relieved that I could keep an eye on her. I hated to admit it but I had been worried before that she might take this opportunity to run. I wouldn't blame her if she had tried, but I knew I couldn't let her go.

"Good. You may leave." The King said as way of dismissal. I bowed my head slightly and turned and walked away. My mind was racing though every single possible way that this could go wrong.

-xXx-

We would be travelling in a carriage tonight, pulled by two of our strongest horses.

Though it was a fine carriage, it was not one of the most expensive and finely built in the collection. We had to blend in tonight, no one could know that we were from the castle or we would draw too much attention.

I was waiting by the carriage, outside the main entrance to the castle.

The Assassin was right on time. My fist clenched where it rested on top of my sword, and it took everything in me not to say the word _wow_ out loud.

She was indescribable.

She was a whirlwind of black. Every inch of her skin was covered in black clothing and leather, and the cape I had gifted her with flowed behind her in a dangerous tangle of shadows. She blended in with the night like she was darkness herself.

The only part of her that was visible was her eyes, and the gold around her pupils seemed to glow.

Strapped to her back were two swords, and I knew that they weren't the only weapons she had on her. Thought I couldn't see them, I knew they were there.

The Guards watched her as she descended the steps with awe on their faces and I wanted to slap that silly look off them.

But then I supposed I was just as bad, I couldn't take my eyes off her either.

She was not the kind of beautiful that men usually found themselves drawn to. They liked blondes with big baby blue eyes and plump limps that were for anything but talking. They wanted women who were seen and not heard with their ribs being crushed by corsets and their faces drowning on cosmetics.

That was never something I had found myself attracted to. Rose was a unique kind of beautiful, and it had taken me a while to notice it. She was lost in filth and dirt covered clothes when I had first encountered her bold spirit. But a meal and a clean bed had done her wonders. It wasn't just that, it was the way she would suppress a smile because she didn't want you to see it. It was the way she held herself and the way that everything she did was strong and purposeful. She was broken and I found myself wanting to help her heal.

We climbed into the carriage and sat in tense silence throughout the journey. She looked out of the window eagerly as we left the castle and travelled through the town. Few people were around at this time of night, and if they were they were only up to no good, like we were.

I watched her as she looked out of the window, her eyes followed every movement out there, I saw her taking everything in, like a sponge soaking up every new piece of information.

We were both silent until we finally pulled up to a stop. I could smell the typical odour of salt and decaying fish that always came with being around the docks. The docks were where the workers loaded up their boats before setting sail for weeks on end into the treacherous waters. A row of taverns lined the street facing the murky waters, which was where the majority of the sailors spent their evenings.

"Ok, so you know what you're doing?" I asked as Rose pulled the hood of her cape up, effectively hiding the majority of her face from me again.

I wasn't sure what made me ask the question, I knew she knew what she was doing; we had been over it time and time again. This was her job, this was easy for her. But for some reason, I found myself reluctant to let her go.

I saw just enough of her face to see her roll her eyes. "Yes. I'll be back soon." She said before hopping out of the carriage and disappearing into the shadows.

I waited 10 seconds before I climbed out of the carriage and followed her. I stuck to the shadows and willed my feet to fall softly on the ground.

I had always been stealthy, I had been trained to hunt since I was young, but Rose was different, she was a predator herself, following her was completely different to following a normal person. She was dangerous.

She was complete darkness, I barely saw her as she crept along the street, and she was simply a blur of black.

She spotted the man at the same moment I did.

Her demeanour changed as she approached him.

He was still working by the docks; I could hear the wooden planks creaking beneath his feet even from here.

A flash of silver shone form his belt in the moonlight and alarm bells started ringing in my head, he was armed.

But then I glanced at Rose, she had at least two swords on her and my panic subsided ever so slightly. She was armed too.

Though she wasn't drawing her weapons.

The man was working at the very end of the wooden walkway, and Rose didn't hide her footsteps as she approached. She wasn't using the element of surprise this time; she wanted him to hear her coming.

He turned around as she approached him and did a double take. I suppose he wasn't expecting to see darkness herself approaching him.

He straightened up and his hand instinctively went to the sword at his side. "What the fuck do you want?" He yelled as she neared him.

His sword was drawn now and he was holding it out in front of him. "Stay back you piece of filth." He growled.

Draw your sword, Rose, draw your sword.

I was chanting in my head from where I watched them brawl.

She didn't stop, she didn't draw her sword, and she just kept walking.

He swung at her sloppily and I could see it took her no effort to duck beneath the blow.

They were talking as they danced, but her voice was lowered so I had no idea what they were saying.

She was teasing the poor man. She dodged every single one of his attacks and she hadn't even taken her weapon out yet. The man was puffing like a fish out of water.

She moved around him like she was dancing the most elegant dance, it was like she was made out of shadows and I was completely entranced by her.

I felt the mood change instantly, I didn't know what caused the change but I felt her bold power turn into anger and her sword was in her hand now.

I could feel the heat radiating off her from here.

She had seemed almost awkward with a sword when I had first fought her with one, but it seemed like part of her now.

A swipe of her arm and the man's own weapon was flying through the air and into the water surrounding them.

He was begging her for his life now. She held this man's life in her hands.

But she had orders, we all had orders.

She thrust her sword through the man's chest and we both watched as the life drained from his eyes.

She had no trouble with the movement, and it looked just as easy as she pulled the blade out of his chest.

She sheathed the weapon where it belonged on her back before she simply pushed the man off the docks and into the water with a splash.

I followed her back until we came to a crossroads in the path.

My heart dropped as she hesitated.

Turning right would take her straight to where the carriage was hidden, where she thought I was waiting for her. Turning left would eventually lead her out of the town and into her own freedom.

She just stood there for a moment; I could practically see the battle she was having with herself.

Part of me was begging her to go right, where she would stay with me and I wouldn't have to watch her leave. But the other part of me was willing her to take a chance and turn left. She deserved so much more than being a killer for someone else. She was so much more than that and she didn't even know it.

I decided in that moment that I wouldn't stop her if she tried to run now. I had made a promise to the King that I wouldn't let her go. I had always wondered if there would ever be anything that would make me question my loyalty to my King. It would seem I had just found it.

I almost yelled at the poor woman when she turned right and determinedly headed towards the carriage.

I ran the last distance between where I was hiding and the carriage so that I was sitting and waiting when she climbed in.

Seeing her sit down opposite me and pull her hood off her face took my breath away.

Her hair was a dishevelled mess of brown locks and her eyes were alive with adrenaline. She was covered in blood.

Her knee was bouncing up and down as she wiped her bloodied hands on her legs. It did nothing to help.

She looked at me once we started moving, like she wanted me to shout at her or question her actions.

"Are you alright?" I asked, my voice came out softer than I had expected it to.

Her face softened at my words and I knew I had said the right thing. She didn't say anything, she just nodded and I watched her as her eyes gradually closed and she dozed off as the last of the adrenaline left her system and the blood dried on her hands.

 **There we have Chapter 9! Things will be moving a bit quicker now that chapter is out of the way and I feel like the story is well underway now so the real story line can start taking place! I really hope you liked Dimitri's point of view. Please let me know what you think of the chapter. Thank you so so much to everyone who was read, favourited, followed and reviewed this story, the support you guys give me literally blows me away and makes it all worth it. I like to think that I've found something I'm actually good at here, as I've never really found that thing before, so all of your support really does mean the world to me. Thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

Over a week passed and the King had me ending the life of someone new almost every night.

Dimitri and I would train all day. In the mornings we would work on my powers. As each day passed I found my powers growing stronger, I had learnt to make them a part of me and to not fear them. My ever-growing powers made me question where the ability had come from. I had no idea who my family were, I felt myself wondering where these powers had come from and if I was the only one left with the ability. Dimitri's abilities were so different from my own; neither of us really understood them.

Dimitri and Alberta had worked together to get me clothing material that would not burn if it came into contact with fire. Alberta had become fed up with having to throw away my tunics because the sleeves had been burnt off, and instead had found some rare, new material that would not burn, so she had adapted my tunics and my assassins outfit.

Dimitri and I would work on sparring with weapons in the afternoon, and of course the running, which I didn't mind, not that I would ever admit that to him. We would run a little further each day until we were doing several laps around the castle with ease.

I found myself struggling to sleep once again; my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and worries. I had been informed the day before that I would be travelling by boat to another Kingdom later today. I was engaged to be married to the Heir of the Throne, and with that title came responsibilities. My cover story was that I would be travelling overseas to meet our allies so they could become familiar with me, though I had since found out that they weren't our allies at all, and I was in fact being sent there to spy on our enemies.

Prince Ivashkov would not be joining me on this trip, which I had to admit I was rather relieved about. My fiancé and I had spent hardly any time together, though he had tried to converse with me when we did end up in a room together. I found myself questioning his motives a lot of the time. I knew that his Father was pulling his strings, and that he was just as reluctant to marry me as I was to him, but I saw the way he looked at me, and I knew he really was trying to make an effort.

And then there was Dimitri. Captain Belikov and I spent pretty much every waking moment of the day together and it was taking its toll on the both of us. I found myself anticipating his movements before he even made them, I blamed it on the fact that I had to memorise the way he moved because we trained together.

We didn't even need to speak most of the time, even a shared look would tell me exactly what he was thinking.

I found myself almost _too_ relieved when I found out that Captain Belikov would be accompanying me on my trip. I didn't quite understand why I felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders when I realised he would be coming, but the truth was that he was easy to be around and I felt safe in his presence.

I watched the hours tick by as I gazed out of my small bedroom window. The moon was soon replaced with the sun and there was not a cloud in the sky. I wondered if Dimitri had anything to do with the pleasant weather.

I found myself craving the fresh air and slipped out of bed.

I stripped off my nightdress and instead replaced it with a deep green dress. It was basic and comfortable and luckily did not have a corset. I didn't bother with shoes as I slipped out of the door.

I had no destination in mind when I set off down the hallways, but I was not surprised when I ended up at the small lake that was hidden amongst the woodland in the castles gardens.

The sight was so beautiful, and the morning sun reflected off still water and cast my hair in a golden glow.

There was no breeze, and the sun warmed my bare face and arms.

I took a chance and dipped a foot into the still water; I was surprised to find that it was warmer than I had anticipated.

I placed my other foot in the shallow water and hiked my dress up around my legs so the ends wouldn't get wet.

The water seemed to wash away the leftovers of the sleepless night and with it my mind seemed to clear.

I glanced my eyes around my surroundings even though I knew no one was there.

I took a deep breath before I yanked the dress over my head and threw it into a pile at the bottom of a nearby tree. Leaving me bare in nothing but my undergarments. They were modest pieces and covered me well, though I still felt self-conscious even when no one was around.

I took a few steps into the water, testing it. It was colder than I had initially thought, but that didn't stop me.

I kept on walking until the water covered my shoulders.

I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding and my teeth rattled against each other as I did.

This was stupid, I had the ability to control fire and yet I was almost freezing to death in a lake.

I had no idea what I was doing, but I willed the flame that was in my heart to grow until I felt the fire spreading through each of my limbs until it reached the tips of my fingers and the ends of my toes.

I instantly felt warmer and wondered if I imagined the steam that was rolling off the water.

I was simply treading water when I heard a twig snap somewhere not too far in the distance.

I scolded myself for not bringing a weapon but the warm breeze that brushed against my face told me I didn't need to.

I didn't turn around as I spoke. "You know, it's rude to stare."

I heard a soft chuckle in response and turned to see Dimitri Belikov leaning against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest.

I was sure I felt the temperature of the water rise.

"Apologies, My Lady." He said, knowing full well that I hated the title.

I watched him closely as he crouched by the water and dipped his fingers in. His bottomless eyes met mine as a look of surprise danced across his chiselled features. "How are you doing that?" He questioned.

I shrugged my shoulders and I watched his eyes follow the movement. I didn't need to look down to see that the water was clear enough for him to see what little I was wearing.

I was sure I could hear a wind howling somewhere in the distance.

"You know, it's surprisingly pleasant in here." I said conversationally.

He met my gaze again and I hoped that my eyes were expressing what my words could not. I wasn't sure why, but I wanted him to join me.

If his clenched fists were any indication, I'd say he was pretty tempted too.

"Is that so?" He asked. His voice was low and rough and his eyes seemed to burn with adventure.

I watched as he gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it up over his head.

I had seen Dimitri without a top on before, but I had never openly watched him take it off. I felt my cheeks redden as he held my gaze while he threw his shirt to the ground.

I thought I might burst into flame as he unbuckled his belt and pants.

I found myself dropping my gaze as his trousers dropped to the ground and pooled at his ankles.

I didn't look back up until he was waist deep into the water.

I watched as his muscles tensed against the temperature. He was still gazing into my eyes. He was clearly a lot more comfortable in his own skin than I was.

He swam towards me in the centre of the lake until he was only a few feet away from me.

"I don't mean to insult you. But do you have some kind of control over the temperature in here? Only I fear I may suffer from some severe burns if we don't do something about it soon." He said with a dangerous smirk on his face, and though I knew he was being playful, his clenched jaw told me that he was struggling with the heat.

I gasped as I noticed the steam coming off the water and I realised how hot the water must be to him. I took a deep breath and worked on shrinking the inferno inside myself back to a more controlled flame, though it was more difficult than I would have hoped, having him so close to me.

"Thank you." He said with a dangerous smile, pride lighting up his eyes.

I nodded in response and we stayed silent for a while, both of us simply enjoying the scenery and each other's company.

I watched as Dimitri dunked his head under the water. He was facing away from me when he came back up again.

His hair was loose and it now brushed his shoulders, leaving trails of water dripping down his muscular back.

The sight almost took my breath away.

His back was as tanned as the rest of his body, and the muscles beneath his skin rippled as he moved. But what shocked me most were the scars that littered his back.

I don't think he realised that I was watching him, but I couldn't resist.

I outstretched my hand and lightly touched his back.

The shock like feeling returned where our skin met, and his muscles tensed where my fingers grazed his skin and his breathing became more laboured. Did my touch have an effect on him?

He looked at me over his shoulder but he did not move away.

I started from his shoulder and very slowly trailed my fingers down his back.

The skin there was so soft despite the scarring and I found myself wanting to explore more of him. I was sure I heard a low growl ripple from deep within his chest.

My hand had just gone under the water, trailing down to his lower back when he finally pulled away.

He didn't say the words, but his eyes expressed everything clearly enough. He was self conscious and maybe even embarrassed about the marks that marred his beautiful back.

Did he think that me seeing them would make me think less of him?

"Don't." I said. "Don't be ashamed of them. We all have scars." I told him.

I saw the look of confusion flicker over his face before I slowly turned around in the water.

We had moved further to the edge of the lake so that when I stood up the water stopped at my belly button.

I heard his intake of breath and heard the ripple of water as he approached me.

Now it was his turn to explore my ruined skin.

His hand first met my skin at my shoulder until it slowly trailed down over my bra strap until it followed the dip of my lower back.

My back was also littered with scars.

Neither of us felt the need to explain, so we didn't.

His touch set my skin on fire.

My head swam and I found it harder to breath as his hands explored my back.

I had had hands on me before, but never like this. Never in such a gentle and tentative manner, and never by someone who understood me just like Dimitri did.

His hands gripped my hips in a way that had my breath hitching in my throat and he turned me around so that I was facing him again.

His large hands were so strong as they wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

My hands were on his strong chest now, I felt like I needed his support or my legs might give out beneath me.

I had never felt anything like this before; I had never felt such an urgent need to be close to someone like I did now.

His gaze was so intense as he held my eye contact, his eyes spoke the words his lips did not need to. I trailed my right hand up his chest and neck until I was cupping his cheek, the stubble on his jaw tickled the palm of my hand.

He licked his lips and my eyes were drawn to the movement like a moth to a flame.

Speaking of flames, I felt like I was going to catch fire. His touch was like pouring gasoline on an inferno.

"Your skin is so warm." He said gently as his fingers tangled in the tips of my hair that brushed my waist.

"Does it hurt?" I asked, beginning to pull away. His hands only gripped my tighter and pulled me closer to him.

"No. It's a pleasant heat." He assured me.

"Good." I said. "I feel like I could set this whole place on fire without a second thought." I explained carefully as I absentmindedly traced patterns on his chest.

I had never touched someone so casually before, but he didn't seem to mind.

"When we are close to people... physically, our powers become harder to control, when you are feeling strong emotions." He didn't need to explain what emotions he was talking about. Something deep within my lower stomach had started to pulse and his wandering touch was only making it more intense.

I dipped my fingers through the thick strands of his hair and was pleased to find that it was just as soft as I thought it would be.

We were so very close now.

I wanted nothing more than to press my lips against his and feel how soft they would be too.

I imagined they would be strong and yet soft at the same time, demanding and yet careful and considerate too.

But I couldn't, I couldn't let myself get closer to him. I was playing a dangerous game in this place, and I was engaged to be married to another man.

I could see in his eyes he wanted it almost as much as I did. But instead of giving into both of our desires, I rested my head against his chest instead.

His skin was warm against my cheek and his chest rose and fell as he breathed heavily.

I felt him sigh before I felt his lips press to my head.

It took all my strength not to lift my head and let his lips meet mine, but I couldn't let myself do it.

"I'm sorry." I whispered against his skin.

"It's ok." He replied. I knew he knew that we couldn't do this either. Things were too dangerous right now.

I felt the tension between us grow and stretch as I pulled away from his embrace. I could physically feel the intensity between the distance, it felt like a band that might snap at any moment. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when it did snap; I wasn't sure how much control either of us had.

"When are we leaving?" I asked. I had almost forgotten that I would have to spend such a long time with him soon, I wasn't sure how long the boat trip would take overseas but I knew it was long, and we would be staying in the neighbouring Kingdom for almost a week if not longer. I would be spending most, if not all, of that time with Dimitri, I was hoping and praying I would be able to keep everything under control.

"In a few hours. Alberta will help you pack your things when you go back to your room." He told me.

I nodded and held his gaze for a moment before making my way out of the water. His bottomless eyes told me that he knew exactly what I was feeling, and that he had the same worries as I did.

It was startling how similar we were in some ways and how very different we were in others.

I felt his eyes burning into my skin as I walked out of the water and slipped my dress over my head.

I begged myself not to let the blush show on my skin and took my time dressing myself again. I felt embarrassed by my self-consciousness; I wanted to be brave and confident in my own skin like Dimitri had been before.

When I turned to look at him though, I realised I needn't have worried.

He was watching me like a starving man might look at a piping hot meal. He looked as if his very existence depended on me, like I was the only thing in the world.

I had never been looked at like that before.

I cleared my throat to distract myself from the need to throw myself into his arms and never leave their safety again. "I'll see you later." I said as I turned and walked away.

It was going to be difficult to pretend that I didn't need to feel his skin against mine like I needed to breathe air.

I was supposed to be engaged to the King's Son, I couldn't be seen in the arms of the Head of the King's Guard no matter how perfect it felt to be there.

I felt the newly formed chord between Dimitri and I stretch as more distance was put between us. I felt it like a physical thing was wrapped around an unknown place deep in my stomach.

I had been worried about my trip to the other Kingdom for several reasons. Some of my worries were as simple and miniscule as never having been on a boat before, though some were more challenging. How was I supposed to pretend to be someone that I am not for over a week? These people were welcoming me into their homes and I was going to tear it apart from the inside.

Alberta was waiting for me when I finally returned to my bedroom. She took in my damp attire and gave me a scolding look though she didn't say anything.

I would mostly have to wear fancy and expensive dresses that had been chosen for me during this trip. The King's soon to be daughter in law couldn't walk around another Kingdom's castle wearing rags after all.

Alberta pulled me into a tight embrace when the time came for me to leave.

The gesture caught me off guard for a moment before I forced myself to loosen my muscles and wrap my arms around her. I found comfort in the motherly gesture that I had never experienced before.

I was about to pull away from the embrace, when she gripped me tighter for just a second longer and spoke into my ear, her voice was barely a whisper. "Remember who your enemies are." She said before releasing me and ushering me out of the door.

Her words set off alarm bells in my mind. I was beginning to realise that this trip was not going to be as simple as I thought. I had no idea what I would be walking into.

 **There we have Chapter 10! Thank you so much for all of your continued support, I'm really looking forward to Rose and Dimitri arriving at the other Kingdom. Please please don't hate me for not making them kiss just yet, but I'm hoping that the little bit of fluff they had will keep you all going until the time is right. There will definitely be more than a few heated moments coming up. Thanks again so much for all of your support, I really hope you liked this chapter and please let me know what you think because hearing from you literally makes my day. I'm heading off to Yorkshire tomorrow to visit some family until Sunday so I won't be able to update for the rest of the week. Anyway, thanks again, please let me know what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys, hope you're all well. I'm not sure if those of you who follow this story received a notification when I uploaded the last chapter (Chapter 10), so make sure that you read the previous chapter before this one if that is the case! Not really sure what went wrong with it (if anything), but just thought id mention it before we get on with this chapter. Anyway, thanks a lot for reading, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

"How long did you say the journey would take?" I asked Dimitri as I eyed the ship that we would soon be boarding, it would carry us across the sea and to the neighbouring Kingdom.

I was completely and entirely unfamiliar with ships and boats, I had never set foot on one in my life. But even to my untrained eye, this boat didn't seem like it would be big enough to comfortable fit all of the people milling around the deck as well as Dimitri and myself.

"Over a day." Came Dimitri's vague reply. I didn't need to look up at him to know he had a small smile on his face.

His response was useless and he knew it. I voiced my worries to Dimitri and he explained that the ship was in fact, not small, but it wasn't their largest either. The smaller the boat the quicker it went. I let the subject drop after he assured me and calmed my worries.

My stomach twisted and turned as I stepped onto the plank that was used as a bridge between the safety of land to the swaying of the boats deck.

Dimitri lifted his hand, offering for me to take it to help steady myself as I walked the short distance across the plank of wood and onto the ship.

I gripped his hand tightly into my own and found that I didn't let go even once we were both on board the ship. The swaying made my head spin.

The captain of the ship showed us to our rooms, I was thankful that my room was right opposite Dimitri's.

I felt the air leave my lungs as I eyed the small room. It was about a quarter of the size of my bedroom back at the castle. There was a bed and little else in the room. I didn't plan on spending much time in here.

Dimitri was still standing just behind me in the doorway; his hand was still clutched in mine.

He must have read my expression, as his voice was soft and yet left no room for argument when he spoke. "This is a generous sized room. They could easily squeeze at least four guards in here if they had to." He explained. I finally released his hand as I put my suitcase on the bed and he crossed the hallway and entered his own bedroom which was identical to mine.

Seconds turned into hours and hours turned into days on this ship.

I had no idea how long we had been sailing for after we pushed off from the docks and lost ourselves in the gentle waves.

I had left my room as soon as my luggage hit the bed and I had found a rickety bench out on the deck.

It was there that I spent the rest of my day. I watched the sun set over the waves and the moon take its place.

A few sailors and guards milled around the boat, and other than bowing their heads to me they mostly ignored me. I was grateful to have the time alone.

I felt suffocated even out in the open, and it took me a while to figure out why.

I was surrounded by nothing but water, _literally_ encased in damp wood.

I was a living, breathing flame, and someone thought it was a good idea to let me onto a boat.

Part of me was worried that I would sneeze and the whole boat would go up in flames. And the other part of me felt completely and entirely suffocated being surrounded by water. I had absolutely nowhere to hide.

My hands started to shake from the cold and the panic started to slowly spread throughout my whole body until I thought it would consume me entirely.

I closed my eyes and forced them to stay that way. I tried to calm my breathing but it was like the harder I tried the worse it became. The panic spread through my veins like wildfire.

A distantly heard a door open somewhere on the ship and then I felt a warm breeze tangle itself in my hair like a sigh of relief.

I didn't open my eyes as the bench dipped beside me, I didn't need to look to know who was sitting next to me. His very presence made my blood burn and the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention.

A shiver ran down my spine and he must have seen it because another warm breeze tenderly caressed my skin and a light weight was suddenly laid over me, and the indescribable scent of pure _Dimitri_ flooded my nose.

He had covered me with his duster.

I couldn't keep the smile off my face even if I tried. "Thanks Comrade." I said as I finally sat up and opened my eyes, taking in his appearance.

He gave me a sidelong glance. "Comrade?" He questioned, his voice was light.

I shrugged. "I don't know, it kind if suits you. You are a warrior after all."

"Hmm." Was his only response as he suppressed a smile.

We sat in silence for some time.

I finally leant my head back against the wooden wall behind the bench and sighed. "Damn, boats are boring." I said.

I heard Dimitri's throaty chuckle from beside me before I heard rather than saw him move. "Maybe this could help?" He replied.

I lifted my head and looked down at what he was holding out to me.

A book.

I felt my heart clench, a blind panic suddenly crashing through my body.

I found myself staring at the book like one might look at a noose that was about to be tied around their neck.

My breathing became laboured and sweat began to pool in the palms of my hands.

Of course Dimitri would assume I could read, why would he think otherwise? He must forget that I have had no education, that I have never had a home or a family or even a friend. He must have forgotten, or he wouldn't have let himself grow so close to me.

I shoved his hand and the book aside, looking away from him. I wanted to get up and leave, but honestly, where else could I go?

"What, don't you like to read?" He asked, simply curious.

I laughed humourlessly and finally let myself hold his gaze. There was nothing condescending in his eyes at all, he just wanted to know this about me.

"I've never... I don't..." I sighed. "I can't." I admitted finally, almost in defeat.

I saw his eyes widen in surprise and he finally lowered his hand and put the book beside him on the bench. I couldn't even read the title of it, I knew the letters but they simply blurred across the cover. The pages were folded at the ages and worn from use, making me wonder how many times he had read that particular novel.

"I'm sorry... I didn't even think." He replied, his voice quiet and thoughtful, he sounded almost ashamed.

"Well no, of course you didn't. Why would you? You don't see me as some homeless girl; I don't even think you see me as an Assassin, do you? What am I to you, Dimitri?" I demanded. I hadn't intended for my voice to be so harsh, but I was embarrassed, and it was a horrible feeling. I found myself covering up my hurt pride with misplaced anger.

He held my eye contact and didn't reply straight away. But when he did, his words held so much meaning. "It's not what you are, Rose, it's _who_ you are."

His words struck something deep in my chest, but they made me wondered if this man actually knew _who_ I was either. Sure, we had grown closer recently, and we shared some unspoken bond, but he didn't know how truly broken I was, I wasn't entirely sure if I even knew the extent of my own personal damage.

"When will we be reaching land?" I asked after some time, changing the subject.

I watched as Dimitri cast his gaze across the ocean. "About an hour." He replied.

I stood up then and placed his warm duster on the space I had just vacated. "I need to go and get changed. Alberta showed me how to do everything and said I wasn't allowed to get off the ship unless I was presentable." I said the words with an eye roll, though I knew that Alberta didn't care about what I wore, it was the King that cared. His Son's fiancée had to look the part when she met his neighbours. I was supposed to be a Princess after all.

Dimitri didn't say anything as I walked away, but I could feel him watching me.

When I reached the tiny room, I opened my luggage bag and out spilled an explosion of silk and other finely made materials, as well as all the cosmetics I would need to make my face look like that of a Princess.

I was pleased to see that there was a mirror in the bedroom, it was smudged with grease and cracked around the edges but it would do.

I replayed Alberta's words in my head as I covered my skin in powder and painted my eyes and eyebrows with their respectable colour. Alberta had left a deep dark red lip colour that would match my dress.

I really had no idea what I was doing with my hair and so I left it down.

Next was the gown, this was always the worst part.

I slipped on the underskirts first and pulled the corset up and around my waist and breasts.

There were two laces that needed to be crisscrossed over and over again at the back of the bodice, and it had to be done tight. Alberta had not explained how I was supposed to do this on my own.

I kept trying, to no avail. I knew I needed help.

There was no way I would ask one of the sailors or guards for help with this matter, I knew who I had to ask.

I checked the hallway was clear before knocking urgently on Dimitri's door. I prayed that he was inside.

The door opened and I threw myself inside, I didn't want to be seen in the hallway wearing so little.

I slammed the thin door shut behind me and looked at Dimitri where he now stood in the centre of the cramped room. He had not unpacked his luggage, but there was a book on the bed.

His eyes roamed my body and I cursed myself for blushing. "What are you doing?" He asked finally, a little breathlessly.

"I need your help." I said, turning so that my back was facing him. I had had no luck at all with the corset, meaning that my whole back was exposed.

I thought I heard Dimitri's breath catch in his throat as he took in my appearance.

He took a small step towards me. "I don't think I can help you..." He muttered, though I felt his hands hover over my back.

"Well I was hoping you'd be more helpful than the other guys on this boat, but I can go and ask them if you think that's for the best." I replied, keeping my voice completely sincere.

I heard a growl rumble from deep within Dimitri's chest before I felt him carefully brush my hair away from my back and pick up the laces.

"Ok, so get the two sides and bring them together at my back, then you need to thread the laces through each side and tie them at the top. And unfortunately it has to be tight." I instructed as I felt him get to work.

His hands worked the laces gently, I would feel his hands brush up against my back every few seconds and I would shiver every time at the little shock that the contact would cause.

"I had no idea these things were so complicated." He mused. I felt his breath wash over my neck when he spoke.

The laugh that escaped my lips held no humour at all. "Me neither until I came here, and became _Princess Hathaway."_ I couldn't keep the bitterness from my voice even if I tried.

Dimitri's fingers trailed along my shoulder as he spoke. "I can't imagine what it must be like to have to pretend all the time." His voice was barely a whisper.

I felt as Dimitri tied the laces at the top of the corset when he was finished, and pulled my hair over my shoulders so it fell down my back again. He was twisting a few strands around his fingers when I turned around to face him.

"I don't have to pretend _all_ the time." I replied finally, my voice was rougher than I thought it would be. I saw the look of recognition pass over his bottomless eyes and knew that he had caught the meaning behind my words. The only place I didn't have to pretend was with Dimitri.

We were standing so close; his hand was now cupping my neck.

I brought my hand up and gripped his wrist with it and lifted it so his large rough hand was cupping my cheek instead. He watched my every movement as I slowly turned my face and pressed my lips against the inside of his wrist.

"Roza." He whispered as his thumb brushed my temple.

I had never heard him call me that before, but the way the _R_ rolled off his tongue made me want to hear it again.

"Thank you." I said when I finally pulled my lips away from his warm skin and took a step back.

I immediately felt colder without the touch of his skin against mine. But I forced my limbs to move as I left the room and went back to my own to finish dressing.

The deep red gown was impossibly tight around my waist and breasts, making them look fuller than they were. The sleeves went down to my wrists but hung off my shoulders, leaving them bare.

Dimitri was waiting in the small hallway when I opened my door. He took my luggage carrier from my hand. His eyes shone with the words that he did not speak.

He was wearing the proper Ivashkov's guardian uniform today; I had never seen him wear the full uniform before. I supposed he never had to wear it in his home, because everyone already knew who he was. But here, people needed to know his status.

We walked to the deck together and he then helped me off the boat when it had moored.

The boat had pulled up right beside the grand castle, and I could see several people waiting on land ready to greet their new guests.

I could see even from here the differences between this land and the Ivashkovs Kingdom.

Where the Kingdom I had left behind was flat land, this land was made up of steep hills, fields and woodland. The size of this castle was similar to that of the Ivashkov's if not a bit smaller, though it didn't seem nearly as intimidating.

Alberta and Dimitri had both been educating me on this Kingdom and their royal family. The Queen was Her Majesty Tatiana Drozdov. Though she does not have a blood related heir to the throne, she has many royal advisers and followers who would be fit for the job. I remember questioning Dimitri about her family, and lack thereof, and he said there was very little information about the matter, it was rumoured that she had a son, but he had not been seen since he was small, some say he died, some say he left.

We would be meeting with two of the Queens most trusted followers, a Lord and a Lady.

The King's words played over in my head as we approached them. I was to stay close to these people and find out any information I could. I would eliminate any threat or anyone who stood in my way. And though he had not spoken the words aloud, I knew he had hinted that I should cause some damage from within the walls and I could not return until the job was done.

Dimitri and I approached the pair, there were several guards stationed around them, they were dressed similar to Dimitri and his men, though rather than the emerald green band around their arm, they had gold, which must be the royal colour here.

I noticed the girl first. It was hard not to notice her really. She was tall and willowy; she had pale blond hair that fell in perfectly tended locks around her pale face. Her eyes were jade green, like that of matured leaves on a tree. She had a pure, genuine smile on her face with her hands crossed politely in front of her. She wore a beautiful gown the colour of the sun just before it sets. She seemed to radiate pure innocence in a way that made me feel almost protective of her. How was it possible that the world had not ruined her yet?

By her side was what could only be described as her polar opposite. Though he was also pale and tall, that was where their similarities ended. Where the Ladies hair was fine and blond and perfectly tended, the Lord's mop was a mess of black atop his head. His piercing eyes were pale blue and as cold as ice. He didn't seem unfriendly as much as simply guarded and untrusting.

The pair stood close together and I watched as they shared a glance which instantly warmed the man's eyes and I had to wonder if they were a couple.

We finally reached the pair and the woman's face lit up in a radiant smile as she took in my appearance. She outstretched her arms and pulled me into a tight embrace.

My muscles locked up on instinct before I remembered who I was supposed to be, and wrapped my arms around her thin waist.

It was like a mouse embracing a lion.

I saw Dimitri shaking the Lord's hand out of the corner of my eye and finally the girl released me, she was surprisingly strong.

"Welcome!" She beamed. "I'm Lady Vasilisa Dragomir, but please call me Lissa. And this is Christian, Lord Ozera." She introduced. The man inclined his head with a smirk.

"It's nice to meet you." I replied, keeping my voice light. "I'm Rose." I said, not bothering with my formal title. "And this is Dimitri Belikov, Captain of the Guard." I explained as I gestured towards Dimitri who stood tall at my side.

We exchanged a few more pleasantries before the couple guided us up and into the castle. There were lots more people in the castle here than I was used to, and not just staff, but other finely dressed folk too. Everyone smiled and greeted us as we passed, and Vasilisa did not stop speaking the whole way.

Gold curtains and rugs were furnished throughout the castle and the whole place had a light and airy feel, it was decorated with paintings on almost every wall and flowers in intricately designed vases on every spare surface. Where paintings were not hung on the walls, there were windows instead. The hallways were so light and almost every window looked out onto endless green hills. Such a stark contrast to the cold and lifeless halls I had become accustomed to.

As I walked the unfamiliar halls, lead by a girl who shone as bright as a star, I was beginning to wonder why the King had sent me here to ruin it all. These people were walking me through their home to meet their Queen, they were trusting me, they had no reason to fear or doubt me.

Little did they know they had just let a wolf into their pen of sheep.

 **There we have Chapter 11! So we have finally been introduced to Lissa! I think it will be difficult to create their friendship, and I want it to be genuine. In the VA books we are so familiar with their friendship from the start, so I'm a little worried about creating that for myself in this completely different world, but I think I'll be able to pull it off. So yes, they've let a killer into their home, but remember, all is not as it seems. And yes, I realise that Tatiana was not a Drozdov, but the Ivashkov name had already been used for Adrian and Nathan and they're just not related in this story I'm afraid, hope that doesn't cause any annoyance or confusion! Anyway, I'm really excited to get into the rest of the story now that we've been introduced to Lissa and Christian and soon Tatiana! Again, thank you so much for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing, I appreciate it so so much. Please let me know what you think of this chapter, and thanks again for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

"I'm sorry you don't have time to settle in before meeting the Queen, but she just really wanted to meet you as soon as you got here." Vasilisa explained apologetically as we walked through the warm halls of the castle.

I could understand why her Queen wanted to meet us, or mainly me, as soon as I set foot in the castle. She was letting in a guest from her neighbouring Kingdom; she obviously wanted to feel me out.

I wondered how the Queen would act around me. King Ivashkov always set out to intimidate me and made sure I knew that he was the boss, and in the Ivashkov castle, I had got the impression that these two Kingdoms hated each other, and were more or less at war. I had been sent to kill anyone who aided this Kingdom, so the King must hate them for some reason.

Lissa gave a light knock on the door before opening it and ushering us inside. Our guards stayed outside of the room, but Dimitri walked in with me after Ozera.

I was expecting to walk into an ornate throne room, with a regal queen at the centre of attention.

The Queen was there, and at the centre of attention, and she was somewhat regal, but she was not what I was expecting.

Instead of the throne room as I was expecting, we walked into more of a greeting room. The Queen was sitting on one of several plush looking sofas; the room was decorated in soft pink tones and smelt faintly of lavender.

The Queen slowly stood as we entered, giving me a full view of her golden gown which clung to her thin body, she was tall but looked like she hadn't eaten a full meal in a while. Christian and Lissa bowed respectively, and Dimitri and I did the same a moment later.

My eyes scanned the room and saw several guards lining the walls, there was many windows, all looking out onto grassy hills, with only the one door as a way of entering and exiting the room, and it was flanked by guards with swords at their hips. I felt the cool steel of the blade press up against my abdomen where I had hidden it previously and began to feel somewhat better about the situation I was in. Surely these people had no reason to see me as a threat, so why should I immediately assume the same about them?

"Welcome, Lady Hathaway and Captain Belikov. It is a pleasure to meet you both. Please, take a seat." She said once we had all risen to standing.

I waited for Lady Vasilisa and Lord Christian to be seated before taking a seat myself, Dimitri sat beside me.

Now that I was closer, I was able to take in the Queens full appearance.

She would have been beautiful once.

She was completely prim and proper, back straight and perfectly manicured hands folded in her lap. She had dark gray hair with dark piercing eyes. A delicate crown sat atop her head. It was hard to tell how old she was, at first glance I would have thought early 60's, but when I looked closely, I could see that her face had been pasted with cosmetics, leading me to believe that she was older than she looked. Though her face was strong, with sharp angles, her body appeared to be almost frail and weak.

The crown she wore was beautiful and delicate, a lot like the Kingdoms land. It was a shining gold and from my vantage point it looked almost like vines of gold twisting around each other.

I could feel her piercing gaze boring into me from across the room. There was a low table between us which held a pot of tea and several teacups.

"Thank you for welcoming us into your home." Dimitri finally said in order to break the silence. The Queen hadn't taken her eyes off me, but reluctantly drew them away when his accented voice broke through the tense silence.

"You are welcome." She replied, though her words made me feel anything but welcome. "Tell me, Miss Hathaway, why are you here?" She questioned finally.

Straight to the point, I see.

Why _was_ I here? I couldn't exactly tell her that I was here to uncover all of her Kingdom's secrets and give them to King Ivashkov.

I cleared my throat before speaking. "King Ivashkov, Prince Ivashkov and myself thought it would be a good idea for me to visit your lovely Kingdom and home so that I could meet our neighbours, I am hoping to build bridges between our Kingdoms." I told her, my voice sounding stronger than I felt under her watchful gaze.

"Ah yes, your fiancé. Tell me, why didn't your betrothed accompany you on this trip?" She asked.

I thought I saw Dimitri visibly tense at the words _fiancé_ and _betrothed._

"He had matters to attend to back home." My voice caught in my throat when I spoke the final word. That castle was not my home, nor would it ever be. It was simply somewhere I would live until they no longer required my presence. I wasn't sure I had ever had a home before and I doubted that I ever would.

"Pity." She said, sounding completely unsympathetic. "Tell me, do you have a power, Miss Hathaway?" I was beginning to learn that the Queen did not ask questions, she simply demanded answers.

I told myself not to let my panic show as I racked my brain for an answer to her question. Dimitri had once told me not to tell anyone about my ability to control fire, and I could only assume that the same rule applied here. I had to tell myself not to glance at him for reassurance when I finally found my answer.

"No, Your Majesty, I unfortunately do not." I told her. Royals often prided themselves on their abilities and how strong they were, I knew that telling her that I had no power would only make her think less of me, but I wasn't entirely sure that I cared.

"Very well. Lady Dragomir will show you both to your quarters. Your King was very clear about your arrangements, so you will be satisfied." She said as she sat back in her chair and looked out of the closest window, clearly dismissing the four of us.

We stood as one and bowed even when she did not look. "Thank you." I said before following Vasilisa and Christian out of the room.

The Lady and I walked next to each other with The Lord and Dimitri walking a few paces behind us.

"Is she always that welcoming?" I asked Lissa with a sidelong glance, she smiled at my question, revealing two rows of perfectly white teeth.

"She's not normally quite that hostile, but I suppose she's just nervous what with the tension between our Kingdoms. She warms up a lot once you get to know her." She explained as she led us down hallway after hallway.

I considered whether to ask my next question or not, I didn't want to seem like I was asking too much on our first meeting.

"What tension?" I finally asked quietly.

The pale girl glanced at me before looking around almost nervously, her reaction immediately set me on edge. "We're not really supposed to talk about it around here." Was her only explanation for her strange reaction. I found myself becoming curious, but my next question was cut off before I could even open my mouth when we came to a halt outside of a door.

She opened the thick wooden door to reveal a spacious and grandly decorated living area. There was an unlit fireplace against the far wall which was flanked by windows which looked out onto more endless hills. There were two plush looking sofas facing each other with a low table in-between, placed on a soft-looking fur rug.

"I'm sure you are already aware but you'll be sharing this area and bathing chamber, which is through there." She explained as she indicated to a door to the left. "Lady Rose, your bedroom is through that door, and Captain Belikov yours is in that one." Both doors were closed, but Dimitri's room was the one closest.

"We'll leave you to settle in. We'll be dining in one of the smaller dining rooms tonight if you'd like to join us." She said, being completely honest and friendly, the hope in her eyes was not hard to notice, she really did want to spend more time with us. She was so warm and welcoming; there was something about her that just made me feel comfortable in her presence.

"Thank you, Lady Vasilisa." I said, almost rolling my eyes at having to always use the formal titles.

"You're welcome, and please, call me Lissa." She said as she and her darker other half walked over to the door.

"As long as you call me Rose." I said, her only response was a smile before she closed the door behind her and Ozera who had barely spoken a word the entire time.

"Well, this definitely beats the cupboard I was staying in before." I said as I walked around the room, taking in all the small details.

I finally made it to the door which lead to my bedroom and opened it. Inside was a large four-posted bed, several deep red blankets and pillows lay atop it, making it look incredibly welcoming. There was a large armoire standing against one of the walls, and a finely made sofa similar to the ones in the living area which held my luggage. On either side of the large bed there were two small tables which both held unlit oil lamps.

There was also a large, looming bookcase which held what had to be almost one hundred books. I laughed darkly beneath my breath and wondered if somehow, someone knew that these books were useless to me and had placed them here as a joke.

I eyed the luggage that was on the sofa once more and finally opened it. I had to get this damn corset off. I knew I wouldn't get away with wearing leggings and a tunic around here, but I was hoping that there would be something more comfortable and still appropriate. I finally came across a dark blue dress that did not have a corset and immediately pulled it out and assessed it. It didn't have layer after layer of skirts but it looked like it would flow nicely from the tight bodice.

I shut the bedroom door and got to work on untying the corset that was currently squeezing the breath from my lungs. Admittedly, untying it was easier than tying it up, but it was still difficult.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the gown finally pooled at my feet and I stepped into the blue one. It hugged my waist and chest tightly and flowed out at the hips, it had a simply neckline and sleeves.

I left the bedroom and saw that the living area was empty but that the door beside mine, leading to Dimirti's bedroom, was open.

His bedroom was almost identical to mine, except he had dark navy furnishings rather than my blood red ones.

His armoire was open and he had already begun to unpack.

I leant up against the doorframe for a moment and simply watched him; he was so graceful in everything he did. He had unpacked most of his clothes now and I could just about see a few books placed in the bottom of his luggage bag that he had brought along.

I had to admit, I had a pretty nice view from where I was standing with his back to me. "You know, it's rude to stare." He said, using the same line I had used on him when he had found me in the lake. My mind wandered back to how close we had become then, how it felt to have his skin caressing mine, I felt a blush creep up my neck and bleed into my cheeks.

When I looked up again, Dimitri was watching me with a knowing smile on his face.

"Have you unpacked already?" He asked, knowing the answer already.

"Of course not." Came my instant reply.

I saw his eyes roam my body and felt myself becoming self conscious again and I hated it. "Is... is this dress ok? I still don't really know what I can and can't wear." I felt almost foolish asking him, he's the Captain of the Kings Guard after all, why would he know or care about dresses?

I watched him take in his appearance again and could have sworn I saw his fists clench at his sides. "Yes." Was his only response.

I turned and took a seat in one of the soft chairs in the living area; Dimitri soon did the same in the one opposite.

"I looked for some matches a moment ago but couldn't find any." He said, gesturing to the unlit fire.

I looked at the dry wood and willed that small flame deep within my chest to grow and spread through my body until I felt it pool at my fingertips.

I stayed seated but outstretched my hand towards the fireplace and released the flames building up in my fingers out into the open.

The streak of fire burst from my fingers and flew through the air until it landed in the hearth and the logs went up in flames.

I couldn't help the smile that made its way onto my face.

I glanced up at Dimitri and saw him looking at me in complete awe. "I didn't know you could do that." He said finally, his words glazed in pride.

I laughed then. "Me neither, I suppose we're lucky I didn't set the curtains on fire."

Dimitri and I spent the rest of the afternoon having light conversation, nothing too dangerous or stress-inducing, and it was pleasant. It was nice to breath and forget why I was here for a moment.

"Do you still want to meet Vasilisa and Christian for dinner?" Dimitri finally asked as the sun started to make its way behind the hills.

"I guess so." I replied. The truth was that I _did_ want to spend more time with them, or Lissa at least, but I just didn't want it be under these circumstances, I didn't want to have to try and pry information from her. But I was here for a reason, and I had a job to do.

We found the couple seated at a table in a small dining room, Lissa pulled me into a hug when we entered the room and I immediately felt more at ease, almost like a weight had somehow been lifted off my shoulders, strangely, her very presence seemed to calm my anxiety.

Dinner was uneventful; it mainly consisted of Lissa explaining the ways of the Castle and her position here. Her parents were very good friends with the Queen, as were Christians, but both of their parents died several years ago in an attack on the Castle, which essentially brought them closer together and that seemed to be why the Queen had a soft spot for the both of them. Christian still didn't say much, and when he did it was only a sarcastic comment, but I found him watching me very carefully, and because of it I had started doing the same to him. Lissa naturally asked questions about my past, why wouldn't she? But the truth was I had no idea how to answer them. Surely these people couldn't know that I was nothing more than a homeless, starving killer before I was dragged kicking and screaming to King Ivashkovs castle.

When dinner was finally coming to an end and I had finished three courses of food, we stood up to say goodbye. "Rose, would you like to meet tomorrow, I thought I could give you a tour of the castle?" Lissa asked.

"Sure, I'd like to get to know my surroundings." I told her truthfully.

She pulled me into another hug, I would have to start getting used to this it seemed, I had never been overly comfortable with physical contact.

Once I was tightly wrapped up in Lissa's embrace, she whispered something so only I could hear. "Don't wear a dress tomorrow; wear something that will make you blend in." She said before pulling away and smiling.

Her words had confused me, but I gave her a nod to show that I understood her odd request. Why would I need to blend in if we were simply taking a tour of the castle?

I tried not to think about it too much as Dimitri and I headed back to our chambers.

We walked back in comfortable silence, and the fire in the hearth was almost completely extinguished when we finally entered the living area.

It was later than I had thought, and honestly all I wanted to do was sleep. It had been a long day of travelling, and plastering a smile on your face for endless hours wore me down more than I had expected.

"I think I'll head to bed." I told Dimitri as I watched him shrug his duster off his shoulders and lay it folded on the back of one of the sofas.

"I was thinking the same." He agreed. "I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a run around the grounds tomorrow morning? If you feel up to it of course." He asked while holding my gaze. His words were casual but I thought I saw something flicker deep in his bottomless eyes.

"Sure." I agreed. "I'd like that." The corner of his mouth lifted into the smallest of smiles as I agreed.

"Goodnight, Dimitri." I said as I headed over to my bedroom door and opened it.

"Goodnight, Roza." Came his quiet response from behind me.

I let out a shaky breath when I was finally behind the safety of the door.

Why was it that I picked up on his every single movement? My body seemed to react to his in such a strong way and I wasn't sure that I knew how to handle it. There was a tension between us that made me feel like there wasn't enough oxygen in the world and I was sure it was only getting stronger with time.

I undressed quickly and slipped on one of the nightdresses that had been packed.

I slipped between the sheets on the large bed and sighed, the soft sheets were heaven against my bare arms and legs, the mattress had to be the softest I had ever had the luxury to lie on, and as soon as my head hit the pillow I felt myself succumb to the deep darkness of sleep.

 **There we have Chapter 12! Sorry for the delay, I've been pretty swamped with coursework recently; I'm trying to get all my work done before I start training for my new job that I start on Monday! (I am insanely terrified). I hope you're all well, we've had a tonne of snow hit the UK last week so I had a few snow days which was nice, though it's all started to melt away now. Anyway, thanks so much for all of your support, I appreciate all the follows, favourites and reviews so much and always read your comments with a smile. Thanks again, please let me know what you think but I really hope you like the chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

I woke up earlier than I'd have liked when I heard movement outside my bedroom door. Dimitri must be up already.

I glanced to my left, where I could see through the window where there was a crack; the curtains didn't quite meet from when I had hastily shut them before collapsing into the welcoming bed the night before.

The sky was a soft pink this morning, the sun was only just rising and with it the birds started to sing their morning song.

I stretched my limbs one by one and reluctantly dragged myself out of the warm bed. I pulled my hair up so it all sat at the top of my head and tied it there.

I opened the curtains as far as they could go and stopped to admire the view for a moment. A robin sat on the branch of a tree right by my window, and I was sure I saw it acknowledge me.

I always found myself almost jealous of birds. The way they simply soared through the air without a single restraint or anything holding them back. Their wings could carry them for miles and in that time they could see more of the world than I had in all my 19 years. You could lose yourself in the clouds without a care in the world.

I shook the sleep from my head before rifling through my luggage bags to find something that would be appropriate to go for a run in. Alberta had mainly packed dresses for me, and I was beginning to curse her before I finally came across some tight black leggings and a top that would suffice. I slipped on some leather knee-high boots and left the bedroom to find Dimitri lounging reading a book in the living area.

He looked up as I entered the room and I thought I saw the tension in his shoulders ease ever so slightly.

"I'm surprised Alberta packed you any _normal_ clothes." He said as he put a faded bookmark between the pages of his novel and sat up straighter.

"Believe me, I am too." I replied.

He stood up then and tied his soft looking hair at the nape of his neck. As he lifted his arms I watched as his shirt rose, revealing a tanned strip of skin just above the waistband of his trousers. I was almost ashamed of myself by how quickly my blood heated at the sight. I felt the usually small flame deep within myself grow into a full on burning blaze, my skin heated with it.

Dimitri's arms finally dropped to his sides again. "I'm glad. You look like you again." He said before he made his way over to the door and held it open for me.

We walked side by side through the castle until we reached one of the many doors that lead outside into the grounds of the castle. "I'm actually glad you woke up so early, it's probably best if we only run when there aren't many people around." I gave him a questioning look, wanting more of an explanation; didn't he want to be seen around here with me?

"It will be an odd sight for people to see a Princess running around with a lowly Guard." He explained.

I sighed, almost in defeat. I still didn't know what was expected of me as a Princess. "Of course. Princesses are to be waited on hand and foot and never lift a finger." I said with a roll of my eyes, putting on an accent similar to the Queens, pronouncing every letter clearly.

We finally reached the gardens and a warm breeze hit my face when the door opened. Dimitri and I faced each other for a moment. "You could never be just a lowly guard, Dimitri." I said before taking off into a fast-paced run.

I think my words must have had some kind of effect on him, as it was a few seconds before I heard his feet thudding against the hard ground and then he was next to me, matching my pace perfectly.

He was right about the castle being quiet at this time of the morning. We hadn't passed anyone on our way here and I was strangely grateful. I didn't want to have to pretend to be someone I wasn't for any longer than I absolutely had to.

We ran in comfortable silence, the only sound was our increasingly laboured breathing.

The landscape here was beautiful, and the steep hills only made for a more challenging exercise.

We had completed at least a few full laps of the castle when we finally came to a stop where we had first started, both of us breathing heavily.

"We should probably call it a day." Dimitri decided and I nodded my agreement; people would be starting to wake up now.

"Would you like to grab breakfast before heading up?" Dimitri asked casually.

I sighed and pulled the tie out of my hair, letting it tumble down past my shoulders until it hung at my waist in waves. "I would, but I should probably go and get cleaned up before meeting Lissa later." I explained before looking up to find him watching me.

He had that look on his face again. The one that made me feel like we were the only two people in the world. It was a ridiculous thought but it made my heart feel lighter all the same.

We seemed to be standing closer now, and I saw his hand hesitate before he finally lifted it and took a lock of hair between his fingers. "Be careful today." He mumbled beneath his breath as his eyes searched my face.

"We're only walking around the castle, what could possibly go wrong?" I asked as I gazed up at him, he was still playing with the ends of my hair and I wanted nothing more than to reach up and pull his free of its tie and feel if it was as soft as I thought it would be.

"I don't know, but I do know that trouble has a way of finding you." He said before reluctantly dropping his hand and took a step back.

He was the first to break the trance when he walked away, calling a brief goodbye over his shoulder.

I saw that the bath was already filled with steaming hot water when I entered the bathing chambers.

I slipped off my clothes and sunk into the water with a sigh. It felt good to systematically scrub my skin and hair clean.

I reluctantly pulled myself out of the bath and dried my body and hair using one of the soft white towels that had been left.

I skipped over to my bedroom with the towel wrapped tightly around my body, pleased to see that Dimitri had not returned yet.

I tugged a brush through my damp, tangled hair before letting it dry naturally. Lissa had told me not to wear a dress, and to wear something that would make me blend in, but I didn't know _where_ I would be blending in to.

I searched through m _y_ luggage once more before I came across some slim trousers and a cream coloured shirt with buttons up the front, it was tightly fitted enough that it still showed off my curves. I would wear it with my usual leather boots and hope that I looked appropriate for whatever we would be doing today. I felt more like myself than I had in weeks, though all these clothes were more finely made than any I would have made before all of this happened, but it was damn well better than wearing frocks and gowns.

There was a light knock at the door, I hastily shoved a knife into my right boot opened it to see Lissa with a small smile on her face. This was the first time I had seen her alone.

She was dressed similarly to me which I was pleased to see, at least I wouldn't feel too out of place beside her. Her light hair was tied up neatly and she wore plain trousers with a light jacket.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the room and shut the door behind me. I was prepared to drop my arm once we had started walking but she instead linked it with hers.

Lissa gave me a tour of the castle, she showed me the throne room first which held a grand and elegant looking throne. It was gold and almost looked as if it were made out of vines, similar, I noticed, to the crown that sat atop the Queens head when I had seen her before. I asked Lissa why the Queen wasn't sitting proudly on her throne and she explained that she only really used the room for official business.

She showed me around the rest of the castle and I did my best to memorise every twist and turn, she also showed me to her and Christians shared chambers but we didn't go inside in fear of disturbing him.

Lissa filled the time with light and easy conversation, I found myself actually enjoying conversing with her. She was easy to be around and I never had to struggle to think of what to say as she always had something to contribute to the conversation.

We finally made it to the main entrance to the castle and I assumed we would go round the side to the gardens, but instead we walked down the wide steps and there I saw a carriage pulled by two palomino coloured horses.

A beautiful man stood by the door of the carriage and opened it when we walked closer.

"Wait." I said. "Where are we going?" I questioned, pulling Lissa to a stop so that she would look at me.

She gave me a mischievous smile in response. "We're going into town." She replied before pulling her arm away and climbing into the carriage.

I eyed the man sceptically as he held the door open for me. The man had a mop of curly black hair with brown eyes a few shades darker than his skin. He bowed slightly when he saw me looking at him.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if this was the kind of trouble that Dimitri was referring to earlier.

I eyed the man once more and decided that despite his muscles I could probably overpower him if the need arose, and with that thought I stepped into the carriage and sat behind Lissa.

There was a window at the front of the carriage where I saw the man sit and take the reins before urging the pair of horse's forwards into a trot. I felt better knowing that I could hear and see him now.

"This is why you wanted me to dress to blend in?" I questioned Lissa when we passed through the front gates of the castle.

"Yes. Christian and I have been out to town 'undercover' a few times before but he doesn't really like it so I thought you'd be the perfect partner!" She explained excitedly.

"Does anyone know we've left?" I asked after a few moments.

"Oh no, of course not! No one would ever let us go without Guards and it took me ages to convince Ambrose to bring us." She explained.

"And I'm still not happy about it." The man- Ambrose- cut in from the front of the carriage where he was directing the horses down the dirt tracks.

I suddenly thought of Dimitri and I felt a pang of regret shoot through my chest like a bolt of lightning. I decided in that moment that I wouldn't tell him where we went, he would only be disappointed in me and worry, or tell me I was needlessly running into dangerous situations. But I needed this small piece of independence, and I knew I could protect myself and Lissa if I needed to.

"Will you go and visit my Aunt today, My Lady?" Ambrose asked after we had travelled in silent for a while. The scenery here was beautiful, we had passed lots of children playing together in the streets, and I noticed that the people here looked genuinely happy. It was such a contrast to what I had imagined of this place. I had been given the impression by people back at the Ivashkov castle that this place was dangerous, weren't they the ones who wanted to start a war with us? And yet nothing I had seen here could yet support the things I had heard.

"Please Ambrose, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Lissa? And this is Rose, by the way. And yes I think we will pay your Aunt a visit, I've been meaning to see her for some time now." Lissa replied before explaining to me that Ambrose's Aunt was known to be a fortune teller.

"Pleased to meet you Rose. And thank you, Lissa, she will be delighted to see you both." He said.

I had never met a fortune teller before, though I had heard many different things about them and I wasn't entirely sure if I believed in the whole thing, though I wasn't about to voice that opinion here.

I felt the carriage pull to a stop before I watched Ambrose jump down from his seat and opened the door for us. I stepped out of the carriage and watched as Lissa did the same.

"Usual time and place?" Lissa said to Ambrose, clearly they had discussed where and when we would be meeting before.

"Of course, I'll be waiting." Came his reply.

I called a quick thank you over my shoulder as Lissa took my arm and dragged me away. We walked through the streets and people greeted us with smiles and polite words, for a moment I thought they must recognise us from the Castle, but I realised that they didn't even know us, they were just being polite and friendly. The concept was foreign to me.

Lissa and I purchased some roasted chestnuts from a vendor on the street after we had been walking around for some time. They were absolutely delicious and I ended up finishing Lissa's after she complained of being full up.

We eventually came to a stop at a small wooden building on the outskirts of the town. There was a sign swinging above the door, though I couldn't read the words, Lissa announced that we had arrived and so I had to assume that the words said 'fortune-teller'.

The front door was closed but Lissa knocked lightly against the wood. Only a second later the door swung open to reveal a short and stumpy woman. She had black hair and dark eyes, both similar to her nephew who I had met only earlier today. However where Ambrose's eyes were warm and almost golden, this woman's eyes were dark and murky. Though she appeared only to be in her late forties, her eyes held hundreds of year's worth of age.

"Ah, Lady Dragomir, Princess Hathaway, please come in." We stepped in after the woman and the smell of artificial smoke only became stronger the deeper we ventured into the little cabin.

We finally entered a room that held a low table with a cushion on the floor on one side and two on the other, there were hundreds of candles and trinkets placed around the room, and I could only imagine that each piece had their own story just waiting to be told.

The woman took a seat on one of the cushions and gestured for us to sit on the two opposite. It was then that I noticed the pack of cards on the table between us, though they were not normal playing cards, they were larger and looked like they had been hand painted. Each one had an intricate design on the back.

"Rose, this is Rhonda, Ambrose's Aunt. Thank you so much for having us, Rhonda." Lissa said politely as she introduced us.

"You are most welcome, my dears. I've been intrigued about both of your futures for some time now." She replied mystically, this woman didn't even know me, why would she be interested in my future? "Now, there are some things that you need to understand before I do your readings. Every one of us reads cards in different ways, I think of it more as the cards reading you and then speaking through me." She explained.

Lissa and I nodded our understandings before she continued. "The cards will reveal one for your past, one for your present and one for your future. Again, this is different for each of us but they have always spoken the truth to me. Who would like to go first?" She asked as she looked between us expectantly.

Lissa and I shared a glance before she smiled and looked back at Rhonda. "I will." She said.

The fortune-teller nodded before taking the cards and shuffling them with ease, her fingers worked quickly.

She carried on shuffling before slipping one card out of the deck, it landed in front of us with a small thud. The same happened twice more until three cards lay facing down on the table in front of us.

She laid the cards out in order. "This one represents your past, are you ready?" She asked, to which Lissa nodded without hesitating.

She flipped the card over; it revealed a beautiful image of pure horror. It depicted a man surrounded in complete darkness; he was floating with his arms stretched on either side of him, with his head hanging limply from his neck. "Death. Past. It represents both endings and beginnings as well as a new cycle of life." Lissa nodded along with her words, and I knew she was thinking of the loss of her parents, the card seemed to read true.

"Now for present." Rhonda said before flipping the second card over. It was a beautiful card, showing a bright sun at the top of the card, shining down onto a meadow filled with flowers, there were two people dancing in the flowers. "Sun, present. It speaks of warmth and love and enlightenment." She explained.

"The card that represents your future is always the hardest to come to terms with. Are you ready?" Rhonda asked, before Lissa nodded once more. She flipped it over to reveal a beautiful woman surrounded by light. "The empress. She represents femininity and Mother Earth, as well as birth and fertility." She said with a smile which Lissa reciprocated with double the enthusiasm. She was clearly overjoyed with her reading. I could already imagine Lissa as a mother, she would be warm and maternal and eternally loving.

"Thank you so much." Lissa said kindly. Rhonda simply nodded in response before turning to face me and shuffling the cards in her nimble fingers again.

She carried on flipping the cards until one revealed itself, slipping out of the deck and falling onto the table face down. She turned the card over, revealing a blur of darkness with a grey moon in the centre of the card and nothing else.

Rhonda nodded as she looked at the card, as if it were speaking to her and she was telling it she understood what it was saying. "The moon." She called it. "It represents illusion and mystery. It can also represent fear and insecurity, but the signs of deceit and hidden truths are stronger." She explained.

I thought that the card revealing my past would be the easiest to understand; surely I would have known everything there was to know about my past? "So there's something about my past that is hidden, a mystery?" I questioned.

"The cards are not specific, but that is what they are telling me." She explained, I noticed her eyes flicker to Lissa as she spoke before continuing to shuffle the cards until another one left the pack and dropped onto the table between us. The card revealed a man, he was wearing a cape with his arms held high, there was nothing remarkable about the card and so I waited for Rhonda to explain. "This is the magician. He represents power, skill, concentration and action. I can feel the power coming from the card almost as strongly as I can feel it from you, girl." She said before continuing to shuffle the cards.

The words _action_ and _power_ stuck with me, the development of my manipulation of fire was only continuing to grow, were the cards telling me that this was in preparation for some kind of action?

The mysterious woman didn't let me ponder the cards for much longer as she shuffled them again, but this time not one card came out for my future, but two.

Rhonda looked taken aback, her eyes widened and her shoulders tensed. "Does that happen very often?" I asked, though I knew from the look on her face that it didn't.

"It is not entirely unheard of for someone to have two cards to read their future; it all depends on the individual." She explained.

"What does it mean?" I asked, a feeling of nervousness spreading through my body like wildfire. I felt it grow into panic and felt my heard thudding in my chest as my palms began to sweat.

"Control yourself." Rhonda spat. Did she know what I was? Surely there was no way. People couldn't know, I didn't know what it would mean if people were to find out what I was, but I knew Dimitri thought I should keep it to myself and I trusted his judgement. "It may mean that you have a particularly important future, something that affects more than just yourself."

She flipped the first card over to reveal a man and a woman locked in a tight, romantic embrace. They were both naked though their modesty was covered by vines from a tree. "The lovers. Represents union, romantic bonds being formed, and ultimately, love and trust, devoting yourself to someone and having them do the same to you." She said the words but she sounded like she was a million miles away.

She again didn't give me much time to think about the card much, as she flipped the card to reveal a man hanging from a post with a noose around his neck. Lissa gasped from where she sat quietly beside me. "Is that death?" I asked instantly, I didn't feel like waiting for her to explain.

"No, not death. The Hanged Man." Well, a hanged man didn't sound much better than a dead man. "He represents suspense, letting something go, sacrifice and martyrdom." Well, that sounded like rainbows and sunshine's. I thought sarcastically. I felt like I didn't really relate to the word martyrdom, I had spent my life killing for others, would I really spend the rest of my life sacrificing my own life for someone else? Though I didn't value my life as much as I should, I felt like if it was something worth fighting for then I would.

"Thank you." I said, my voice sounding quieter than I thought it would.

"You are both welcome. Don't dwell on your futures too much, what will come will come. Nothing in this life comes without a price." She said before standing. She grasped both mine and Lissa's hands in her own and held them for a moment. Her hands were startling cold compared to the heat radiating off mine.

Lissa and I both thanked the woman before I noticed Lissa drop a few gold coins in a clear jar on her way out.

My mind was reeling as we made our way out of the cabin and walked through the quiet streets on the outskirts of town.

I could easily come to terms with the card revealing my present situation; of course it would have something to do with my ever growing internal flame. But my past was bothering me more than I thought it would, what didn't I know? Rhonda seemed to know more than she was letting on, and the way she glanced at Lissa had bothered me, did Lissa know as well or did she not want Lissa to know? And then the cards for my future came to the forefront of my mind, the lover and the hanged man. When I imagined myself having a lover in the future, an awful part of me thought of Dimitri, how my body and mind reacted so strongly when he was around. But I was engaged to Adrian Ivashkov, what if the card represented him in my future? And then the hanged man, what would I be sacrificing and what would it leave me with in the end?

All of these questions running around my mind meant that I wasn't concentrating on what was happening around me. It was darker now than it had been when we first entered the cabin, how had so much time passed already? Would Dimitri be wondering where I was?

The streets were dark and the path was slick beneath my boots.

Lissa was talking endlessly about our readings and what they could mean, but the words went in one ear and out the other.

The hairs at the back of my neck rose and It was then that I knew that something was wrong.

I didn't hear or see the man approach us from behind.

I didn't even know that he was there until his hand was around my throat and the blade of a knife was pressed against my neck. All thoughts vanished from my mind as Lissa screamed and the blade dug deeper into the soft skin of my neck.

 **There we have Chapter 13! Sorry I babbled on a bit in this chapter, I got a bit carried away but I hope its ok! Thank you all so much for following, favouriting and reviewing, I appreciate every single one of you and absolutely love reading what you have to say about my story. What did we think about their card readings? I googled the meanings behind each card that I mentioned, but the images weren't very clear so I do apologise if the description of the cards weren't quite right. I'm planning a very intense Romitri scene for the next chapter, but do we think it's a bit too soon for their first kiss or would it be ok? Anyway, thanks again, please let me know what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

"Get your filthy hands off me." I growled out from between my teeth. My voice sounded foreign even to my own ears, I sounded fierce and deadly despite being held at knife point.

Lissa had stopped screaming now, but she was stood with her back against a wall with her shaking hands covering her mouth.

"Now why on earth would I do that?" The man said, finally answering my question. I didn't recognise his voice; it was rough and was practically dripping with sarcasm.

"Lissa, run!" I yelled, trying to shake her from whatever fear induced trance she was in. I just had to get her out of here and then I could unleash flame fuelled hell on this bastard that had tried to mess with the wrong girl.

Lissa's eyes flickered up to me as my words reached her. She looked like she might have started moving, if the man hadn't stopped her. "If you move, Blondie, I'll slit this one's throat wide open." And there went any hope of Lissa making it out of this on her own. She was terrified, but I knew that she wouldn't leave without me, though I wished she would.

"Now, why don't you tell me what Lady Dragomir and _Princess_ Hathaway are doing walking around these parts of town, alone, in the dark." The man said as he pulled my hair over my shoulder, revealing more of my neck before his blade. The steel was cold when it first touched my skin, but now it was warm, heated from the blood burning beneath the surface.

The way he said the word Princess made me think he knew exactly what I was.

It had started to rain now, it was thundering down all around us, I wasn't sure I had ever seen rain this heavy before and it made me wonder if Dimitri had finally realised I was missing.

"Oh, just out for a night-time stroll, but we really should be getting back, we wouldn't want people wondering where we are." I said, trying to make him think that people would be out looking for us if we didn't return soon. But the truth was, no one knew where we were.

His hand gripped my throat tight enough to leave a noose of bruises, efficiently cutting off my airways, and the knife dug deeper into my skin, was that blood I felt trickling down my neck?

"No way. I've stumbled upon such a prize, there's no way I'm letting you go now." He said as he pressed his nose against the side of my neck and inhaled deeply. "And what a prize you are." His hand finally released my neck and I inhaled the air deeply into my starved lungs.

His hand trailed down my neck until it reached my chest where he tore the top buttons right off, leaving my cleavage exposed. My blood was on fire, the inferno inside was practically raging to get out, but I had to keep it controlled.

"Why don't you let Lady Dragomir go and I'll show you how much of a prize I can really be." I said while wiggling my hips against his seductively. The thought of it made bile rise up in my throat, but I had to do anything to get Lissa away safely.

He ignored my words and groped my chest savagely.

Enough was enough.

I brought my hands up to his exposed arm and channelled every ember of fire into my hands.

I smelt his skin burning a fraction of a second before I heard him scream.

He released me instantly, the sharp knife dragging along my neck as he did so. I felt the blood drip down my chest but I couldn't feel a thing.

I turned around and faced the man where he gripped his arm in shock. His face showed pure horror and I wondered what I must have looked like to him. Surely I didn't just look like a girl to him, could he see the monster that lurked inside me?

I brought my hands up and gripped his neck, once again channelling all the heat I could muster into my palms. I held onto his neck until there was barely anything left to hold onto.

"Rose." I heard from somewhere far behind me.

"Rose!" Lissa was closer now, and shaking my shoulder frantically. I glanced up at her to see tears streaming down her face. Oh God, what have I done?

I stood up from the corpse and gripped Lissa's arm, staining the sleeve of her shirt with the blood that was dripping from my hands, and we ran.

Ambrose was waiting outside the carriage when we rounded the corner and sprinted towards him. His eyes widened in shock and I was surprised he didn't faint at the sight of us.

"Quickly, take us back to the castle." I demanded as I threw open the door and shoved Lissa inside before stumbling in after her. I was sure that no one had seen what I had done, but we couldn't be seen in the area when the man's body was found.

"Rose, what was that?" Lissa demanded from where she sat across from me. The tears were gone though her makeup was smeared down her face from where they had been. Her hands were still shaking but her eyes were clear. Her hair was plastered to her face in tangles from the rain.

"Lissa, you can't tell anyone. No one can know what I did or how I did it, please. Something very bad will happen to me if people find out." I told her, looking straight into her green eyes so she knew I was being serious.

"What was that, what ability do you have?" She asked as she glanced down at my blood soaked hands.

"Fire." I stated.

Realisation dawned on her face, as if she had just solved a very intricate puzzle, but I had no idea what it meant.

"Please, Liss. I hate having to put you in this situation, but you have to promise me you won't say a word about my power, not even to Christian." I was gripping her hands now; all traces of my fire were gone.

"I promise." She said, and I believed her.

The horses were pulling us through the streets a lot faster than they had before, and I distantly noticed that Lissa was crying again.

"I'm sorry, Lissa." My voice was hollow. I was thinking of so many other things in that moment, that I hadn't even considered what it must have been like for her. Had she ever even seen a dead body before? Something that is so mundane to me is something completely unheard of for her.

"Don't you dare apologise." She said with surprising force. "I should be apologising, that man... he threatened and touched you and I just stood there Rose! You saved me and I didn't do anything!" She gasped between breaths.

I felt warmth on my neck and chest and finally looked down to see the damage the knife had caused. My light coloured shirt was now stained dark red. I lightly touched a finger to my neck and it came away wet, not just from the rain but from the blood.

Lissa watched me examine the wound with a panic-stricken face, but I gave her a reassuring smile.

The wound was deep, but not enough to do any fatal damage, I didn't think I'd need stitches but I kept my hand pressed to my neck to prevent losing any more blood.

I felt the carriage pull to a sudden stop and glanced out the window, we were back at the castle. Ambrose opened the door and I stepped out first before helping Lissa out.

"W-what happened?" Ambrose asked.

"It's nothing. Everything's fine, it happened after we saw your Aunt, she's ok." I told him, my voice sounding hoarse, had that man damaged my vocal chords?

"Are you ok?" He asked tentatively.

"Don't worry about it, you can go, we'll be fine from here." I said, trying to add a lightness to my voice, I didn't want to sound harsh, he had done nothing wrong, but I also wanted him gone.

My arm was around Lissa, holding her safely against my side, when the front door of the castle slammed open and a furious looking Captain Belikov stormed down the stairs.

Thunder howled somewhere in the distance and lightning lit up the sky. I pushed Lissa away from me as he descended the stairs; the rain was only falling on me now.

I vaguely saw Christian follow behind, but my eyes were firmly planted on Dimitri, he was an absolute inferno of fury.

Everything stopped when he reached the bottom of the stairs and finally saw the blood and the bruises and the ripped shirt.

The thunder stopped, the lightning stopped, the rain stopped, the wind stopped, I think maybe even my heart stopped as Dimitri's eyes ran over my body and there was nothing but pain across his usually guarded features. "Roza." He whispered as he came closer.

He didn't touch me, he looked almost afraid to. Christian was here now and Lissa practically collapsed in his arms.

"She's ok, Christian, shaken up. Will you take her inside to get looked at?" I asked the dark haired Lord, though I kept my eyes on Dimitri.

Christian didn't reply he just turned and carried Lissa up the stairs.

Lissa peaked over Christians shoulder at me. "Rose... I'm so sorry." She whispered, I glanced at her softly and shook my head; there was nothing she could have done.

Dimitri was so close to me now, his hands cupped my cheeks and tilted my face up to look at him. He was so tall.

His hand trailed down to my throat, he was so gentle. "What happened?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper, it held so much pain.

My head was spinning. "Oh you know me, trouble follows me everywhere." I said, mimicking his words from before.

My legs finally gave out beneath me, but Dimitri caught me before I could hit the ground.

He held me close to his chest as we climbed the stairs and walked through the deserted halls of the castle. How late was it?

"Where are we going?" I asked, I could barely hear my own voice over the ringing in my ears.

"The infirmary, you need to see a healer, Rose."

"No!" I yelled, pushing away from his chest, trying desperately to have my feet on the ground again. "I can't."

I held his gaze when he wouldn't let go, imploring him to understand why I couldn't go to a Doctor, that would mean explaining what happened, and that was something that I couldn't do without blowing my cover.

"Fine, but I'm getting you cleaned up." He said.

His chest was so soft and yet hard, I rested my head above where his heart was only to find it beating erratically.

He didn't even seem to be struggling to carry my weight. My bones felt brittle, but I managed to lift my hand and place it on Dimitri's cheek, the stubble there tickled my fingers and he glanced down at me with a pained expression on his face. "Your skin is so cold Roza, it's usually so warm." He said as he tilted his head and placed a kiss to my wrist, he had managed to find a clean patch of skin to press his lips against, but his jaw was now coated in blood from where my hand had been. I wasn't even sure whose blood it was.

"Yeah well, that tends to happen when an angry giant makes it rain on you." I replied, trying to make my voice sound light.

When he laughed I heard it rumble through his chest and I pressed myself closer to him.

We finally reached our quarters and he carried me straight through to the bathing chambers where he placed me so I was sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

I watched as he searched drawers and cupboards for the things he needed until he came back to me with a bowl of water and several cloths and bandages.

He pulled up a stool so he was sitting in front of me between my legs.

"Your shirt is ripped." He said it as more of a statement that a question. The words brought back the feeling of the man groping me and I shivered in disgust. There was so much pain and anger in his eyes I had no idea how he was keeping himself under control, though the fury wasn't directed at me, not anymore, it was at the man who did this to me.

"I think I need to take it off, Rose, to get to the wound." He said, his voice was quiet and wary, he sounded embarrassed.

I smiled at the realisation that a man like Dimitri Belikov could be embarrassed by seeing me in my undergarments, but he had seen me in less before.

I lifted my shaking hands and undid the surviving buttons of the shirt and slipped it off my shoulders.

My skin had started to warm up again, and the way Dimitri was looking at me now only made the process happen that much quicker.

He slowly brushed my hair over my shoulders so the full extent of the wound and the mess was revealed to him.

He dipped one of the cloths in the warm water and started to clean my neck and shoulders and chest and hands. He was so very gentle, and despite the circumstances, his touch warmed something deep within me that had been cold for as long as I could remember.

"The wound is deep but you won't need stitches, if you wear a bandage for the next few days and keep it clean it should be fine." He told me as he continued to wash blood from my skin.

"Great, that will be easy to explain when I wear those ridiculous dresses." I wasn't sure why I was worrying about that now, but I would have to find a way to cover them.

"We can find you dresses with high necks, it will have to cover the bruising as well if you don't want to explain anything." I nodded, though regretted it instantly when pain in my throat flared up.

Dimitri looked at me with such sorrow and guilt, I had no idea how he wasn't disgusted with me.

"Please stop looking at me like that. I'm a monster, Dimitri." The words tumbled out of my mouth though my head was clear now.

"You're not a monster, Roza." The way he said my name like that, the way the R rolled off his tongue made me want to collapse in his arms and never leave their safety.

Dimitri was bandaging my neck now, and I waited until he was finished to say the next words so I didn't have to see his face.

I stood up and faced away from him. "I killed a man with my bare hands; I melted his neck until there was nothing left."

I stormed out into the living area, I needed to breathe.

I heard Dimitri following me a moment later, before he lightly held my hand and turned me to face him.

I gasped when I saw him on his knees in front of me.

"Never. Never say that you are a monster again." He gripped my hand and brought it to his cheek again and held it there.

I could have sworn that I saw tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. "You have no idea how terrified I was, Rose. You had been gone for so long and no one knew where you were." I couldn't help myself; I ran my fingers through his hair and found it to be silky soft, his eyes closed in contentment as fingers slid through the strands.

His head was the height of my chest and he was gazing up at me. I had only ever seen Dimitri Belikov kneel in front of the King before, I knew how strongly he felt about loyalty, and yet here he was, completely at my mercy.

"And then I saw you, covered in blood and soaking wet and I knew then that I would have done anything for you. I would have ripped the world apart to find you, Roza." His words were soft and yet strong, and I knew then that I would have done the same for him.

I fell to my knees in front of him, one hand still pressed to his cheek and the other tangled in his hair.

He brought his other hand up and caressed my cheek ever so softly before it tangled itself within my long hair.

I had always been on my own; I had never wanted to be so close to another person as I did now. I wanted to know him and I wanted him to know me. I wanted him to know every inch of me, which meant the scars and the darkness within me too.

My top half was still exposed, with only my undergarments covering my modesty, and yet I didn't feel embarrassed or ashamed of what I was, I felt beautiful.

We were so close now, our chests were almost touching and our faces were barely inches apart. I could see every speck of brown within his deep bottomless eyes; I could happily lose myself in those eyes and never come back to the real world again.

I shuffled closer to him so our chests were pressed firmly together, I heard a growl emit from deep within his chest when I wound my hand around his neck and pulled him down so we shared the same breath.

"Roza..." He sounded as breathless as I felt. I knew what he was doing, he was warning me. He was giving me the opportunity to stop this before it went too far, but why on earth would I want to?

Dimitri Belikov made me feel alive again. I had never had a home before, not in the physical sense anyway. But when I looked at him, and when I touched him, I felt like I was home.

I knew then what I wanted, what I needed. And it was him.

I leant up and closed the breath of distance between us until my lips pressed against his.

His lips were soft and yet firm, they warmed me straight to my core.

The embrace was so sweet and soft, he was so very gentle.

But then he wrapped his arm tightly around my waist and pulled my body flush against his. His fingers tangled themselves in my hair and his tongue ran across my bottom lip, begging for entrance that I was only too willing to give.

I parted my lips with a gasp and he took the opportunity for our tongues to meet in a daring dance.

It was unlike anything I had ever felt before, to be wrapped so tightly in this man's arms and feel nothing but want and need and safety.

I couldn't get close enough to him. His hand that before was wrapped around my waist was now exploring the bare plains of my waist and back, my bloodied shirt long since forgotten in the bathing chambers.

I needed to feel more of him. As his lips danced with mine I trailed my hands down his chest, exploring the toned muscles of his stomach until I reached where his shirt was tucked into the waistband of his pants. I untucked the shirt and slipped my hands beneath so they were resting against the warm and smooth skin there.

The way the moan rumbled from deep within him and the partnering nip of my bottom lip sent heat pooling into a dangerous place.

I gasped at the new feeling of pleasure and pain that it caused and he took the opportunity to tear his lips away from mine and instead trailed them down my neck.

I could distantly hear the wind howling outside.

He was sitting on his knees now, and I was straddling his lap, I wasn't sure how I got there but I didn't mind one bit.

He trailed his lips down from just under my chin until he reached my collarbone and shoulder, but he didn't stop there.

He was careful about the wound on my neck, but he continued his delightful torture down my chest until he reached the undergarments covering my modesty, where my breath caught in my throat.

"Dimitri." I breathed.

I don't know what my voice must have sparked within him, but suddenly his lips were on mine again, and I was gently but powerfully being laid on the plush rug in front of the unlit fire and he was above me.

My legs opened naturally to accommodate his hips, and the moan that ripped itself from my lungs was unlike any sound I had ever made when I felt his hardness press against my centre.

If he got this kind of reaction out of me when we were both almost fully clothed, the thought of what it would be like when we were both bare set my skin on fire.

The inferno inside me was roaring, clawing at my skin trying to escape, trying to find its desperate release.

The pile of logs inside the hearth beside us was engulfed in burning flames as was every candle in the room.

Dimitri finally pulled away and I finally saw what had happened.

Sweat had formed on his forehead and it now trailed down face, which was red and flushed from being so close to the raging fire in the hearth and _me._ I must have been boiling hot.

I shoved him off me, hissing at the pain it caused the wound on my neck before crossing the room so I was as far away from him as possible. All the candles in the room extinguished and the fire was now crackling gently rather than the roaring tornado of heat it had been a moment ago.

I was breathing heavily, as was Dimitri. I watched as he got to his feet and looked at me with such an intense look.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." I repeated. How could I have let myself lose control like that?

I can't even imagine the heat Dimitri must have been faced with. I scanned his body looking for burn marks but didn't see any.

"Roza, don't you dare apologise." He said gently as he raised his hands in a calming gesture and took a step towards me.

"Don't." I said, stopping him in his tracks.

He continued his slow approach to me anyway. He cupped my face gently in his large hands and tilted my face up so I was looking into his eyes, his features were no longer guarded, and his expression was clear as day for me to see. "Listen." Was all he said. I did as he instructed, and listened. I could still hear the wind howling outside, and I was sure I could hear thunder growling in the distance earlier.

"You are not the only one who struggles to keep their abilities under control. When I am with you, my self control goes out the window." He said with a small smile.

His words could have made me feel better, but I had already fallen too deeply down the pit of despair. "But your abilities don't risk my life. I hurt you, Dimitri."

He pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms protectively around me, almost like he would protect me from myself if he could. "You could never hurt me." He whispered into my hair before placing a kiss there.

I inhaled deeply, taking in his crisp scent, before taking a step back. His face fell when he saw my expression; it was like he knew I had already made my decision. "Please don't shut me out, Roza, not now." He pleaded.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just need some space, I need to regain control." I hated having to distance myself from him, but I didn't want to hurt him, even though I was now, by saying these words.

I started to walk away, towards my bedroom, but he took my hand and held it close. "Let me help you. We'll carry on training like we did before; we just have to be careful here."

My shoulders sagged in defeat; I knew I would do anything he asked.

I finally nodded and pressed my lips to his stubble covered jaw. "Goodnight, Dimitri." I whispered in his ear before reluctantly pulling away and taking myself to bed.

It had been a long day.

 **There we have Chapter 14! Daaaaaaaamn they finally kissed! How was it? I never really know how to go about these intimate moments as I'm not the most romantic person myself hahahah. Sorry for the delay, but I'm hoping the extra long chapter and Romitri moment will make up for it. I had my first week of training at the new job this week and literally didn't have a single moment to relax this week until now! The job is with the NHS so I'll be out on the wards in the hospital next week which I'm terrified for but also excited I guess, which means there might not be another chapter until next weekend, but we shall see! Anyway, thanks so much for all your support, your reviews have really helped me this week. Thanks again, please let me know what you think.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey everyone, Happy (late) Easter! I must first and foremost apologise for the massive delay in updating this story, I have not forgotten about it and I have not given up on it, I have just been insanely busy recently with my workload due to starting a new job full time and having to finish off work from previous things as well, so I'm giving it another go! Thanks for sticking with me and for all of your continued support. I'm also going on holiday tomorrow, to Pisa in Italy (has anyone been?), so I wanted to get this chapter to you all before I went away and left it any longer. Anyway, thanks again.**

I dreamt of fire. A pure, burning, raging inferno of heat. I had always had an awareness of fire, even before I knew that I had the ability to control it. I had always had an understanding of its power and its beauty. The most powerful element of fire, nothing could control it.

I was once dancing with the flames, they were part of me and I was part of them.

In the dream I was a moth, circling the flames. But someone had pulled my wings off, and so I dropped into the flames and burned until there was nothing left but dust.

You could take away the oxygen and starve the flame of its food, but there would always be another spark.

You could drown the embers in water and watch the glow dull into nothingness, but water would always dry and leave a match waiting to be lit.

Fire is infinite and endless, an enigma of its own power. Fire belongs to nothing but itself, and nothing could control it, not even me.

I awoke soaked from head to toe in a hot sweat. The sound of my bedroom door creaking open urged me to open my stinging eyes.

The blades that were hidden beneath my pillow were in my hand and pointed at the intruder before I could even take a breath.

Stood before me was a terrified looking young woman. She was petite, with dark blonde hair and light brown eyes; her skin was lightly tanned from working outside in the sun and her nimble looking hands were raised in a calming gesture. "Pardon me, Princess. Captain Belikov let me in; I am here to prepare you for the ball."

My eyes scanned her form for any hint that she may be a threat, she was dressed in the attire that I had seen all the maids wearing, a dull golden dress with a white apron that she seemed to be almost drowning in.

I slid the blades back beneath the safety of my pillow and the girl seemed to visibly relax ever so slightly now that her life was not in direct danger.

I saw the worry dancing in her eyes, though she forced a polite smile on her face.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, to find it damp with sweat, and tried my best to place a comforting smile on my face. "Sorry, I'm a bit jumpy." I apologised, trying to calm the fear the girl clearly had towards me.

"The bath is ready for you in the bathing chambers." She said as she walked over to the window and opened the curtains, revealing a blue sky; the sun was higher in the sky than I had expected it to be. I must have sleepy longer than I thought.

"Thank you." I said as she handed me a towel, her eyes flickered to my bandaged neck and I saw curiosity shine in her eyes. "I'm clumsy." I said as a way of offering her an excuse before clutching the towel in my hands and crossing the living space and into the bathing chamber. I didn't see Dimitri at all, and I wondered if it was a good thing or not.

My lips still tingled from our passionate encounter, and part of me feared that I had ruined everything by letting myself get so close to him. I was engaged to a Prince for goodness sake, and Dimitri was the Captain of the King's guard.

Though I wear the mask of a princess, beneath it is nothing but scars and rags. There is no way I am worthy of a man like him.

I stripped off my nightgown and sunk myself into the steaming water, it was lightly scented with jasmine and lemon.

I was careful to leave my neck as dry as possible as I scrubbed my hair and body, though the bandage was still damp when I finally emerged from the water, feeling cleaner than I had in days.

I reminded myself of why I was truly here as I towel dried my body and hair. I wasn't here to enjoy myself or make friends; I was here to find out what I could about this strange castle and the people within it.

I came here looking for answers, but the longer I spent here the more I realised I was unearthing nothing but more questions, questions that had answers buried so deeply within the walls of this castle that I might break every one of my bones trying to find them.

Hadn't the maid mentioned a ball tonight? I was apparently invited, though I had no idea what it was in aid of, was I supposed to know?

I stepped out of the bathing chamber wrapped in my towel with a newly found determination to get my job done.

The maid was pottering about in the bedroom when I returned. She gestured for me to sit in the chair in front of a mirror.

"Did you say there was a ball tonight?" I asked as she started to run a brush through my tangled and damp hair.

"Yes, My Lady. You have been invited by the Queen." She replied.

"Please, call me Rose." The girl looked startled by my request, her mouth dropped into a small O shape before she hastily closed it and smiled. "What is the ball in aid of?" I asked after a moment or two.

"I'm not sure that her Majesty has a reason." She replied. I gave her a questioning look before I saw her look over her shoulders; she lowered her voice slightly when she spoke next. "Forgive me for making assumptions, but I think she just wants to show off her riches while you are here."

The admission brought me up short, the Queen wanted to show off in front of _me?_ "I won't say a word." I promised. "But, why?" I asked.

"You will surely go back home and tell the King and your fiancé about your stay here, she doesn't want to appear weak or in any way less than him."

The girl had started to braid parts of my hair, and I watched as she brought them together and pinned them to the back of my head. I had never seen such a hairstyle before, but it was beautiful. "May I ask your name?" I finally asked.

She looked startled by my question once more, but eventually swallowed her fear and answered me. "Sydney."

"May I ask you a question, Sydney?" I asked, trying not to let my nerves show in my voice. Asking questions and being curious is a dangerous game to play in places like this, but I needed answers or I was simply wasting my time here.

"Of course- Rose." She was about to call me by my formal title, but I gave her a pointed look and she called me by my preferred name.

"What do you know about the hatred between your people and mine? I have only lived in the Ivashkov castle for a short amount of time, and my curiosity often gets the better of me."

Sydney had started to lightly powder my face, smoothing out the redness and blemishes that were there, she also worked at concealing some of the bruising that peaked over the bandages that still covered the wound on my neck.

"The Kingdoms have never been on the best terms, nobody knows the true reason why. The Queen saw how powerful your King could be and tried making amends years ago, but he returned her kindness with nothing but hatred and evil. The attack caused hundreds of deaths, the one that damaged the Kingdom the most was the Queens son and his wife." She said, sorrow filling her words while she delicately covered my eyelids with dark colours and painted my lips a deep red.

"I didn't know the Queen had a son." I admitted.

"Oh yes, it broke her when she learnt of his downfall, she turned cold and hard to the world. Her son was mischievous and reckless, but he adored his people and would have done anything for them. As I'm sure you know, few people choose the person they marry, but he did, and he loved her." The way she spoke the words about few people marrying the person they wish to made me wonder if she knew more about me than she was letting on. Was it written clearly across my face that I did not want to marry Adrian Ivashkov?

"How did they die?" I asked hesitantly. My mind flashed back to King Ivashkov, the ice covering the throne and everything around him. He was a cold man, my mind conjured images of him murdering this man and his wife.

I knew the King was a monster, but was I really any better than him? We are both murderers, we both have blood on our hands.

But the people you killed were monsters too, I told myself. They were abusers and drunks, and though it does not justify it, I did it to survive.

"I don't know..." She admitted. "I'm not sure anyone does. I was only a baby when it happened, but I'm not sure they even found the bodies."

I studied Sydney a little closer now; she had to be a similar age to me, maybe a year older?

Next, she carefully cut the bandages off my neck. I had to suppress a flinch of her fingers brushing the delicate skin of my neck. But where that mans hands were rough and strong, hers were nimble and delicate.

Once the bandages were off, the damage that had been done was plain for both of us to see.

Dark purple and blue bruises were smudged across my neck, and a long thin cut ran from one side to the other. It was hideous.

"There's no way I can go to a ball like this." I said bluntly.

The maid set to work cleaning the wound and began rubbing some soothing ointment on it before bandaging it again, almost as neatly as Dimitri had the night before.

"Of course you can. I've covered the worst of the bruising with the powder and you will be wearing a dress with a high collar." She explained as she walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a long garment bag with what I could only assume held the dress that I would be wearing.

"How did you know I would need a dress with a high collar?" I asked, being unable to help myself.

She gave me a mischievous smile. "Captain Belikov asked for it."

Fear gripped tightened deep in my chest at her words. "He... he didn't tell you why did he?" I asked hesitantly.

"No, no. I know not to ask questions."

"I'm sorry, you are safer not knowing." I told her as she unzipped the bag and revealed the dress to me.

It was beautiful.

As promised, it had a high collar. The gown was such a deep red it might even look black in some lights. I could tell already that it would fit every single curve of me as snug as a second layer of skin. It was floor length, and gently flowed from the corset down to the ground. It was like the gown was coated in unimaginably small diamonds, for every time the dress moved, it would sparkle and reflect the low light coming from the window.

"It's incredible." I breathed.

Sydney helped me carefully slip the dress on, and tied me into the corset.

I slipped on the shoes she had found for me and looked in the mirror.

I barely recognised myself.

Though my cheeks were still slightly sunken, and my waist was smaller I would have liked, the dress accentuated what curves I did have and made me look graceful and elegant without even having to try.

I had been transformed from a moth into a butterfly.

"Thank you, Sydney." I told her, and I meant it. She was a miracle worker.

"You are welcome, Rose." She replied with a smile. "Someone will be along to escort you to the ball soon, but I must go now." She explained as she cleared away a few more things around the room and left with a small smile.

It was only when I was alone again that I noticed a ringing in my ears, had it always been there, or was it caused only by the silence that had suddenly enveloped me?

I walked out into the living area of the suite, to find it once again empty and untouched. Where was Dimitri?

I tried to stop myself, but I couldn't help but worry that he was avoiding me after our encounter last night.

He seemed to have enjoyed it at the time, but I knew I hadn't made it easy for him; I had let myself lose control over my heat.

My mind was a blur, hadn't he promised he would help me control it again?

I started to pace up and down the room, even when my feet started to burn.

I knew that tonight might be one of the last opportunities I would have here to get some more answers, so I had to use it to my advantage.

I had come here in search of secrets that I would then feed to the King, but as I spent more time here I realised I wasn't just finding answers for him, but for myself too. I felt connected to these people in a way that I could not describe. They did not seem like the enemy to me.

I would be kind, I would be charming, I would be beautiful and graceful.

I would be careful, I would be subtle.

My palms had started to sweat but a light knock at the door brought me out of my dangerous thoughts.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

My breath caught in my throat at the sight before me.

Dimitri Belikov stood in the threshold, wearing his Guardians uniform. It consisted of grey slacks that hugged his muscular thighs with a matching grey tunic, it had the King's symbol embroidered on the arm bad, but the Queens symbol had also been added.

His soft hair was tied at the nape of his neck and a breathtaking smile graced his wonderful lips that I found myself reciprocating.

After my eyes had scanned his body appreciatively several times they finally landed on the red rose that he held in his fingers.

I finally looked up to meet his eyes once more to find his roaming my body, I noticed his pupils were dilated and his bottomless eyes shone with pure, undiluted lust.

"See something you like?" I said to distract myself from wanting to pounce on him.

His tongue darted out to moisten his bottom lip before he smiled once more. "You are... breathtaking." He said, his voice was rough and husky.

He seemed to finally pull himself out of whatever trance he had been in and took a step towards me.

His crisp scent flooded my nose and I inhaled deeply.

He slowly lifted his hand and tied the rose into my hair.

He didn't drop his hand once it was safely secured though, instead he cupped my cheek and I found myself leaning into the touch.

A moment or so passed, simply enjoying the feel of his skin against mine, before he reluctantly pulled his hand away and instead offered me his arm, which I gladly linked with my own.

We walked down the halls arm in arm. There were more people milling around the halls this evening, the majority of them dressed in ball gowns and suits.

"You'll dance with me tonight, won't you Comrade?" I asked. "I don't know any of these people."

He gazed down at me and ran his thumb over my forearm soothingly. "I'm sorry Roza, but I won't be joining you at the ball, I will be part of the guard that stands around the room." He told me, and he truly did sound sorry.

Of course he would be guarding tonight, he was the captain of a whole Kingdoms Guard for Goodness sake, and why wouldn't they use his skill to their advantage on an evening such as this? It was juvenile of me to assume that he could join me. The differences in our circumstances suddenly became startlingly clear and I felt like a fool.

"That's a shame." I said, meaning every word. "I suppose you'll just have to watch me from the sidelines." I said as I tightened my grip on his arm and edged closer to him slightly.

He bent down slightly and I felt his lips brush against my ear as he whispered the next words, sending a shiver down my spine. "I won't be able to take my eyes off you."

We carried on walking through the halls; soon we could hear music and voices carried through the halls from the ballroom until we reached the intricate doors that would lead us inside.

I took a deep breath before we entered. "Ready?" Dimitri asked.

I held his gaze for a moment longer than I should have, unable to tear my eyes away, before I nodded and he pushed the doors open.

The room was filled with what must have been hundreds of people, they all wore stunningly lavish gowns and perfectly pressed suits, the mutter of perfectly civilised chatter met my ears as I searched the room looking for a familiar face and finding none.

Dimitri lifted my hand off of his and brought it to his lips before bowing low before me. I bit my lip to distract myself from him while I curtseyed in reply.

"I am here guarding _you_ tonight, Rose. If you need anything, just tell me and I'll be there." He promised before giving my hand one last squeeze and walking through the crowd to find the spot where he would stay for the rest of the night.

It was strange, I was in a room filled with people, and yet I had never felt more alone.

 **There we have Chapter 15! I'm sorry if it seemed almost like a filler chapter, and I'm sorry if there was too much Sydney and not enough Dimitri, but I really wanted Sydney to have an important role in this story and thought it was important to show their first encounter in detail. Anyway, I'm really sorry if it's not up to the usual standard, but I really did try. Please let me know what you think, I absolutely love hearing from you all, and thank you again so much for all of your support.**


	16. Chapter 16

I stood at the edge of the grand room, watching the people of this Kingdom talking amongst themselves, they were dressed in finely made dresses and perfectly tailored suits, everyone here knew each other, they likely grew up together and now they danced together, they would likely die together too, and I stuck out like a sore thumb here.

I could feel Dimitri's eyes on me from where he had taken up his position against the wall on the other side of the room, but I didn't let myself meet his gaze. I knew that if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from going to him and crumbling in his arms and begging him to take me away from this strange place.

But I had a job to do, I needed information if I was ever going to return to King Ivashkov and feed him what he wanted to hear.

I noticed a waiter carrying a tray full of tall, elegant glasses filled with sparkling champagne and decided that everything would seem easier if I had a glass in my hand.

I took a glass and carried on walking through the throng of bodies, sharing forced smiles with some and shooting daggers to those who openly judged me.

I had always had a talent for blending in with the shadows, but I was the odd one out here, and people made no attempt to cover up their stares. I did not belong here and everyone knew it.

But then, I did not belong in the Ivashkov Kingdom either.

It was becoming clearer to me as I lied and cheated my way through each day and the next that I did not belong anywhere.

I had drained half of my glass by the time I got to the table at the far end of the hall that held platter after platter of rich and colourful food.

My mouth watered at the sight, I don't think I had ever seen so much food before, and barely anyone had touched it. How could these people see all this food and not devour it?

I began to reach for a plate when suddenly I was attacked from the side.

Lissa's thin arms wrapped around my waist with such a force she almost knocked me off my feet. The champagne in my glass splashed onto the floor as I hesitantly wrapped my arms around her small frame.

I breathed a sigh of relief as she clung to me. Her very presence was calming and reassuring, and I had been worried that she would be angry with me for endangering her life like I had before.

Christian soon appeared over her shoulder and he cleared his throat with a smile. Lissa unwrapped her arms from around me almost as quickly as she had put them there. I threw Ozera a grateful smile. I had never been too keen on physical contact, but I could just about tolerate it with Lissa at this stage, and apparently Christian could tell.

"Oh Rose, I'm so glad you're ok. I've been so worried." She said as her eyes glanced down to my concealed neck.

"I'm fine, honestly. Dimitri cleared me up pretty well. I'm just glad you're ok." I said, meaning every word of it.

I wasn't sure exactly when I had began to care about this bright girl, but something about her made me feel protective of her.

It was then that I noticed the beautiful gown that Lissa was wearing. "Liss, you look incredible." I said as I admired the beautiful green gown, it hugged her petite figure perfectly and matched the colour of her eyes.

Though the dress was beautiful, it reminded me of the colour that represented the Ivashkov family overseas, and suddenly the dress did not seem as stunning.

My mind flashed back to the crazed eyes of Adrian Ivashkov, and suddenly bile rose up in my throat at the thought of being forced to marrying him.

I would find a way out of it, I promised myself.

"Where is Dimitri?" Lissa suddenly asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

My smile faltered for a second before I plastered it back into place. "Oh, he had to work tonight; he's around here somewhere guarding." I explained.

I placed my empty glass down on the table. "Oh Rose, you can't have an empty glass at an event like this, I'll get us another drink." She said as she noticed my action. I was about to protest but she had already shot off into the direction of the nearest waiter.

Christian took a step closer and gave me a hesitant smile which I was shocked to see. He was dressed in a tailored suit and his hair was styled to look like he had just rolled out of bed, when in reality I could imagine him and Lissa fussing over it for hours.

"Look, Hathaway. I just wanted to thank you for what you did for Lissa the other night. She didn't tell me everything that happened but she told me that you were both in danger, and that you saved her. So, thank you." His words were spoken quietly, but they held an important meaning to me, and to say that I was shocked would be an understatement.

I was relieved to hear that Lissa hadn't told him _everything_ about the other night, but my shock must have been written clearly on my face.

He rolled his eyes as if to explain himself was a waste of breath. "I know I wasn't overly welcome to you, but you have to understand that when we found out that a visitor from the Ivashkov Kingdom was coming, we were more than a little cautious." He said, his striking eyes darkening a shade.

"I'm sorry; I had no idea about any of that when I first came here. I never meant any harm." I said, making my voice as light and innocent as possible.

"What, you didn't know about the attacks?" He questioned, genuinely shocked.

"No. I had no idea." I had to tread carefully now. "No one had ever mentioned that the King had placed an attack on your people, your land. They had always made you out to be the enemy. I thought that... I thought that your people killed King Ivashkovs wife." I admitted truthfully.

I watched as Christian Ozera's face moulded into one of shock and complete disbelief. He gripped my arm tightly in his hand, I don't think he had meant to hurt me; he just wanted to get his point across, I had to stifle the flame inside myself, it roared at the contact of an almost stranger, fighting to protect myself. I had to remind myself that Christian meant me no harm. "Rose, the Queen of these lands never provoked the King, she never sent her armies overseas, and she certainly didn't send her people to kill Ivashkovs wife." He explained, almost in shock that I had heard anything different.

"But... but." I stuttered, trying to form a sentence when my mind was running at the speed of light. "If what you are saying is true, and your people didn't kill Queen Ivashkov, then who did?"

Christians face showed he was just as shocked and confused as I was. He released his grip on my arm as we saw Lissa approach, and we both slapped smiles on our faces at the question we had just unearthed.

Lissa handed me a glass of champagne and I thanked her. She lifted her glass into a toast, and Christian and I mirrored her action. "To the union of two Kingdoms." She said, as she tapped our glasses together and we all took a sip.

I couldn't help but think that she had no idea what she was talking about, as I felt the bubbles swim down my throat, and immediately felt bad for the way my mind worked.

Of course she didn't know what she was talking about. To these people, I was here to build bridges between our Kingdoms, if they knew that I was really here to spy on them, and then I wouldn't be doing my job right.

I was finding it difficult to concentrate on conversation after my new revelation, and Lissa and Christian soon bid me farewell and explained that they had to mingle with the other guests.

My mind was in a whirlwind of thoughts. I had come to this Kingdom for information to give to King Ivashkov, I had come here thinking that these people were my enemy, that they were murderers, but the more time I spent here, and the clearer it came to me that I was incredibly wrong.

I had been sent here to find out about how this Kingdom runs, how it works, so that King Ivashkov could likely plan another attack on them, my information would make it easier for him and likely make his attack more successful.

Something was incredibly wrong. I was being lied to.

I tipped the rest of the champagne into my mouth and placed it down on a tray that a waiter passed me with, I swallowed the liquid as I picked up another glass.

"Enjoying the ball?" I rusty feminine voice asked from behind me.

I turned; lifting my lips into a smile, ready to force myself through this conversation with whatever stranger had finally grown the balls to talk to me.

The person that faced me was no stranger. It was Queen Tatiana.

What were the chances of her making her presence known to me as soon as I had come to a life-altering realisation?

"Your Majesty." I said as I curtseyed low before her. She waved the gesture off with an amused smile, now that I was closer, I could see the creases and wrinkles that formed at the edges of her eyes and mouth. Her frail body was clothed in a beautiful golden gown with glowing skirts.

I didn't fail to notice the several guards that flanked her. Though they were not dressed like Dimitri or even the other Guards around this palace, but I could tell they were here to protect her. They stood to attention, their eyes constantly scanning the surroundings for danger.

" _Princess_ Hathaway, how are you?" She questioned, as she ran a scrutinising gaze down my form.

My heartbeat seemed to have sped up considerably. "I'm good thank you; I am enjoying the kind hospitality I have received here." I replied. "Are you well, Your Majesty?" I asked politely.

"Oh I'm perfectly well, though running a Kingdom can be rather exhausting as I am sure you're aware." She said, looking me in the eye, gauging my response.

"Yes, I can imagine it is rather taxing." I replied, keeping my voice light and conversational.

"Well, my Kingdom has been through a lot, to say that we are still standing is a testament to our strength." She said, her voice strong and noble. I had no idea why she was telling me these things, I could see that this was a powerful Kingdom, was she really that determined to make sure that I go back and tell King Ivashkov how strong these people were?

"I agree." I admitted. "You've done an incredible job."

"Yes well, I'll leave you now to enjoy the party." She said before turning and gracefully moving across the floor to greet more of her guests.

I decided that that was enough drama for one ball and instead scanned the room, looking for Dimitri.

I saw him standing to attention against the far wall; his eyes were on me already when I looked across at him.

I gave him a small smile and tilted my head slightly, hoping that that would be enough of an indication for him.

I was right and he instantly left his position against the wall and began making his way through the crowd.

He reached me in a matter of seconds, and lifted his hand as if to caress my arm, but thought better of it and dropped it, instead bending down slightly so that I could hear him better over the throng of people.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, his breath brushing my ear sending a shiver down my spine.

"Yes, I was just wondering if we could leave now, I think I've shown my face for long enough." I asked, looking up into his deep brown eyes.

He gave me a small smile and nodded. "Of course." He held his arm out for me to take, which I gladly did, and we made our way through the crowd and out the doors.

The hallways were practically deserted as we made our way to our private chambers, it seemed that every Lord and Lady and respectable guest was at the party, and every maid and helper was there working.

When we reached our door, Dimitri opened it and gestured for me to go through.

It was cold and dark when I entered, and so with very little thought I lit the fire and the candles while I slipped the pain inducing heels off my feet.

Dimitri was staring at me in complete awe, and he shook his head in disbelief, but didn't say anything.

"Thank you for being there tonight Dimitri, though it's a shame you had to work. It would have been nice to have someone to dance with." I spoke absentmindedly as I began to unpin my hair from its intricate braids.

He laughed humourlessly at my words. "You could have asked any of the men in that room to dance with you and they would have fallen to their knees at your mercy." His voice was low and rough and made my heart pick up its pace.

"There was only one man in that room I wanted to dance with." I murmured, my voice came out as a whisper, but he heard me as clearly as if I had shouted the words.

I held his gaze once the words escaped my lips, and where his eyes were guarded before, they held such clear emotion now. He was at war with himself.

I watched the internal turmoil that he was having with himself, until he finally came to a decision and extended his hand to me.

I attempted to control my breathing while I took a step closer to him and placed my hand in his.

His hand was so very warm, it was strangely rough and calloused and yet soft as well. A tingle ran from the palm of my hand all the way up my arm, through my chest and into my core.

Once my hand made contact with his, he closed his hand around mine and gently tugged me closer to him so that our bodies were mere inches apart.

I carefully placed my other hand on his shoulder while his found its place on my lower back.

We could hear the music from the ball faintly even from our room, though it felt like we were miles away from other people.

We didn't speak; we just swayed from side to side, enjoying the proximity that we had to each other. After some time, I took a step closer and closed the distance between us; I rested my head on his chest, right above his heart. I could hear it thundering away where it hid deep within his chest.

I wrapped both arms around his waist, inhaling his scent deeply, and I felt as one hand tangled itself in my hair and the other tightened around my lower back.

Every inch of our bodies were touching, and I had never felt safer in my life.

I pulled my head away slightly so that I could look up into his eyes, he was watching me with such intensity it made my breathing alter its course.

My emotions were at war with themselves.

Being this close to Dimitri Belikov was dangers, _I_ was dangerous. A simple slip of the mind could kill him, and yet here I was, wrapped in his arms like it was nothing at all. And I was engaged to be married to Prince Adrian Ivashkov, though with my recent revelations it was becoming more and more clear that that would not be happening, but my refusal would be taken as treason at best and being hanged at the worst.

Though I knew now that I had to do something about all of this, and selfishly, I knew I wouldn't be able to do it without Dimitri by my side.

I placed a soft kiss to the underside of Dimitri's stubble coated jaw and watched his eyes close in contentment as his grip around me tightened.

A plan had begun to form in my head, it was stupid and reckless and incredibly dangerous, but I knew if I didn't do something, no one else would.

I had never been a stranger to missions and tasks that put my life on the line, though I had never felt pure determination like I did in that moment and it took me a while to realise what had changed.

I had something worth fighting for now.

 **There we have Chapter 16! Again, I must apologise for the awful delay in posting this chapter, I was adding bits to it every now and then, trying to write enough to post it, but things have been insanely hectic recently and I was worried to post the chapter in case anything was wrong or unclear. So please, if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will answer them as best as I can, though there is obviously still an air of mystery around it all. Anyway, I hope you're all well, I wanted to thank you again for all of your continued support through this story, you have no idea how much I love writing it and how much your support means to me. I'm really sorry to have rambled on, but just know I still think about this story a lot even when I'm swarmed with other things to do, so I won't give up. Thanks again, let me know what you think!**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Dimitri's Point of View.**_

It had to have been one of the longest nights I had ever had the displeasure of enduring.

I had experienced some rather challenging and difficult nights before; I had unknowingly created a list of some of the most difficult nights in my mind while distracting myself from the beautiful goddess I was tasked with guarding on this evening.

On the top of that list was the night I was kicked out of my home, and spent the night as a young boy cold and afraid. I had also spent nights facing enemies in battles that resulted in lives being lost on both sides.

This night had now been added onto that list, at least, until she took my arm and I lead her out of that crowded room.

When I was personally asked by the head of Queen Tatiana's guard to help add to the security detail for the ball, I knew that there was no way I could say no. I had a job to do, after all, and Rose was my charge during this trip, it would only be suspicious if I declined.

I knew it would be dull, as it always was when I was instructed to stand around the edge of a room and blend in with the shadows.

But when I saw Roza in that dress and the realisation dawned on me that I would have to leave her side, it all became so much worse.

She was breathtaking; she was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

She was like my own personal drug, and I was an addict.

But how could I be addicted to something I had never had the pleasure of experiencing?

We had known each other for such a small amount of time, and yet I knew her, I knew what and who she was, and the parts of her that were still hidden from me I only wanted to uncover.

My eyes had been stuck to her all night, watching her sip champagne and speak with different people, that unwavering smile pasted onto her face.

I also saw every man's head turn in her direction when she passed them, and yet she had no idea.

They would be fools not to be entranced by her, but she was oblivious to it all. Instead she spoke with her friends and her eyes met mine every so often, and she would give me a smile that stole my breath right from my lungs and almost, almost made the whole thing worth it.

The night was truly beginning to take its toll on me, my lower back had begun to ache and both of my heels had gone numb from the lack of movement. But then she turned to look at me, she smiled and tilted her head, and a weight was instantly lifted off my shoulders as I passed through the crowds and reached her side.

I was completely entranced by her as she tucked her hand into my arm and I lead her through the deserted halls and into our own personal chambers.

The room was cold and dark, but only for a second before the fireplace and every candle in the room was lit up in the blink of an eye.

I watched her as she unpinned her beautiful hair from its intricate confines, and I was mesmerised as the chocolate locks tumbled down her back until it brushed her lower back. "Thank you for being there tonight Dimitri, though it's a shame you had to work. It would have been nice to have someone to dance with." She said.

Her words almost didn't register with me for a moment; did she not notice the affect she had on every poor man in that room?

My lips moved before my brain could register what was being said. "You could have asked any of the men in that room to dance with you and they would have fallen to their knees at your mercy." I watched as her lips parted slightly in a silent gasp as my words made their impact in her mind.

I watched as her eyes darkened ever so slightly before she moistened her lower lip. "There was only one man in that room I wanted to dance with." Her voice was barely a whisper, but I heard her as clear as day and my heart picked up its pace in response to her powerful words.

God, the things this woman did to me.

I banished the thoughts of _what ifs_ as I extended my hand to Rose.

She blinked those beautiful eyes once and closed the distance between us and put her strong yet delicate hand in my own with barely a second's hesitation.

We danced to the distant music for what felt like a lifetime and yet I knew it would never be long enough. And when she finally took a step closer and wrapped her arms around my waist, my fingers slid into the ends of her silk-like hair and I inhaled deeply. I did everything in my power to brand the imprint of this memory into my mind so that I could seek comfort from it even in my darkest hours.

She was a flame and I was a moth, more than willing to get burned.

When I was fairly certain that Rose was about to fall asleep against my chest, I lead us into her bedroom where I placed a kiss on her forehead and left her to get herself ready for bed. I wanted nothing more than to stay with her and to cherish her, but I had to appear to have some air of self control no matter how fragile it may be.

Once I had returned to my own chambers, I replaced my guardian's attire with cotton trousers only, which were sufficient sleepwear.

Despite the late hour, I found myself craving anything but sleep. And so with the welcomed light from the oil lamp that still glowed by my side I pulled open a well-worn book and began to lose myself in the words.

The power of words had always amazed me. Even when I was a boy, I would frown upon the children that chose to use their words aimlessly and with little meaning. A single word could change everything to someone, and it was important to respect their power.

My eyelids were beginning to feel heavy when a scream from the room next door brought me back to my senses as effectively as if someone had slapped me.

I was on my feet and through Roza's door in a heartbeat, ready to take on anything that could be threatening her.

What I saw brought me up short and the panic immediately left me, instead being replaced by infinite worry and concern.

Roza was tossing and turning, her limbs tangled amongst the sheets as she faced some unknown horrors in her sleep.

I hesitated in the doorway, not knowing how to proceed when she whimpered once more; it was such a vulnerable noise that I knew without a doubt that I had to take this pain away from her in any way that I could.

I made my way to her bedside and lightly brushed the hair away from her face. "Roza." I murmured her name. I was pleased to see that she had at least slipped off her gown and replaced with a white nightgown, which I am sure was comfortable, but it left little to the imagination.

She stirred slightly and I cupped her cheek with my hand and brushed my thumb over her cheekbone, she leaned into the touch, even during her sleep.

She awoke with a grasp, and with lightning fast reflexes one hand had gripped my wrist like a vice and the other was flying towards my face.

I caught her wrist in my hand a breath of a second before it made impact with the side of my face. Her eyes opened in undiluted fear and panic.

"Shhh, Roza, It's me. It's Dimitri." I said as I loosened my grip on her wrist ever so slightly.

I slowly watched as the fear faded from her eyes as she came back to reality and left her self-invented terrors behind. Her vice-like grip softened on my wrist, and I tilted my hand so that I was holding hers in my own.

I felt a tremor go through her body and brushed my thumb over her hand.

She released a shuddering breath before speaking. "I'm sorry I woke you." She whispered into the darkness.

She sat up slightly, tucking her legs up so that I could sit on the edge of the bed, I felt relief flood through my veins when she didn't release my hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked carefully. I wouldn't push her to share her fears with me, but I wanted her to know that I was there for her if she needed me.

I saw her eyes shimmer, the glow of the light coming through the crack in the curtains making them shine like stars.

"I'm not sure I can. It's hard to explain... Just... something doesn't feel right, Dimitri." I watched through the darkness as she bit her lower lip. I brushed a loose strand of her hair back in encouragement.

"This place, I feel like there is more to it than they're letting on. And even worse, the Ivashkov Kingdom. I don't know what truth is and what lies is anymore, Dimitri."

I knew these things worried her; the truth is that we had uncovered so many more seemingly unanswerable questions since arriving here, and we were only digging deeper. "We'll figure it out, Rose." I told her as I brushed her cheek with my thumb, I watched as her eyes closed in contentment for a moment.

"We?" She whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear.

Did she really think that after all this time; I wasn't with her in this? "Yes, Rose, _we._ I'm with you; we're in this together now."

She looked so very vulnerable, I was sure I saw tears line the corners of her eyes as my words made their impact somewhere deep within her. I leant forward and brushed a kiss to her temple, before straightening up. "Good night, Roza." I whispered against her ear.

I had just pulled away when her hand shot out and gripped mine once more. "Stay." She blurted. She looked surprised even by her own words.

I lifted a questioning eyebrow, giving her the opportunity to retract her offer if she was now regretting the words.

"Will... will you stay with me?" She asked instead.

I stood for a moment, taking in her form, before nodding. She released my hand and instead pulled back the sheets beside her, encouraging me to get in.

I walked around the bed and sunk down beside her.

We lay like that for a moment, neither of us touching, neither of us speaking. When I noticed through the darkness that she was still shaking slightly, and so I lifted my arm and she immediately filled the space with her warm body.

One arm clung to my waist as her head rested on mine, and she softly placed her head on my chest, I wondered if she could hear my heart thundering.

Before I knew what was happening, I was whispering soothing words in a language I knew she would not recognise. I was surprised at how easily the words rolled off my tongue, when I had not spoken them in what must have been over 10 years.

I waited until I knew she was asleep before I allowed myself to succumb to the darkness. I waited until her breathing had evened out and she tucked her head further into my chest, as if she wished to hide from the world completely.

I inhaled the scent of her deeply, wishing to imprint it into my mind, she smelled like vanilla and jasmine, and her proximity made something deep within my gut tighten unbearably.

I was not surprised to find that I was dreaming of her, when I finally fell into a deep slumber.

I had dreamt of her every night since the day I first set eyes on her. Some nights she was the assassin she used to be, killing others as a way to survive. Some nights we were just simply talking, like normal people living normal lives. Some nights she would be in danger, and I desperately needed to save her, but I could never reach her in time. Tonight was new, though, I had never seen this dream before.

Tonight, Rose sat atop a throne.

I recognised the throne room, though the throne itself was a new addition.

It had been carved from solid wood, though it had a shockingly golden finish, with silver additions making it sparkle when the sun reached certain places.

Rose herself made the throne look dull.

She wore the most breathtakingly intricate golden gown, it clung to her arms and upper body like a second skin, the material was almost sheer, so it seemed like her skin was glowing itself. When it reached her waist, the skirts flowed down as smoothly as water down the side of a mountain.

Her lips were full, and turned up into a loving smile when she regarded me before her, her eyes were such a beautiful golden brown, and they shone as brightly as the sun. And atop her head, where her curls tumbled down her shoulders like waves, sat a crown.

Rose Hathaway was a queen.

I awoke with a start, the memory of kneeling before a beautiful queen still branded into my mind, though the first thing I noticed when I returned to reality was that I was not in my own bedroom, and that I was alone in the bed, Rose's body was no longer pressed firmly against mine as it had been the night before, instead she was nowhere to be seen.

I shot out of the room quicker than I thought, ignoring the light-headedness at the sudden movement, and found one of the young helper girls in the living area, she was simply cleaning, but straightened up and brushed her hands nervously against her apron when she regarded me.

I was about to open my mouth and demand to know if she had seen Rose, but she beat me to it.

"Ro... The Lady instructed me to stay here until you awoke and relay a message to you, The Lady has gone for a walk, to further explore the castle, and would be back not too long after you awoke." She explained nervously, shifting from one foot to the other.

I simply nodded, trying my best to veil the panic that had risen within me. "Very well, thank you."

I had to remind myself that I was not Rose's captor here; she was free to come and go as she pleased, I also had to remind myself that she did not need my protection, and she could look after herself.

With that thought, I stomped to my own bedroom and slammed the door slightly too hard, as I went to prepare for the day.

 **There we have Chapter 17! I must first and foremost apologise once again for the massive delay, I had been working on this chapter for a while now, just writing small bits at a time, because I have just been so incredibly busy and had such little time, but I have a plan for the next chapter so hopefully I'll be able to get it from my brain to my laptop a little quicker! I just wanted to thank you all for your support, even though I keep on keeping you waiting, I love reading that more and more people have favourited and followed my story, and even more so that you have reviewed, I love reading them! I'll also apologise that this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I really just didn't want to keep you all waiting any longer than I had to. Anyway, I wonder where Rose could have wandered off too? And could Dimitri's different dreams mean anything? It's also my birthday tomorrow; it's officially my last day of being a teenager! Anyway, sorry for rambling, thanks again for all of your support, I hope you liked the chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I awoke feeling warm, warmer than usual. It took me all of about 3 seconds to realise why. There was a warm, hard body pressed up against mine in my bed.

The events of the previous night came back to me in one big wave.

The dream, I was screaming. It was so real; I was trapped in a cage full of ice, I couldn't breathe and I couldn't move. Dimitri was there, he was trying to save me, but he was being held back by masked men, there was a knife to his throat and I was screaming. Screaming for them to let him go.

And then I was awake and Dimitri was there, and his eyes held such concern, concern for me. His touch was so soft and gentle and I found myself craving it, craving him. I had never been touched in such a way before.

Dimitri didn't hesitate when I asked him to stay, and he held me throughout the night, and I had a peaceful, dreamless sleep, the first one I had had since I could remember.

But when I awoke wrapped in his protective embrace, I felt nothing but shame.

His touch set me skin on fire, our legs were a tangle of limbs, one arm was under my head, acting as a surprisingly comfortable pillow, while his other hand rested over my waist, which was bare, my nightgown had risen up over my hips at some point during the night.

A quick glance told me that Dimitri was fast asleep, his head was buried in my neck, and he was breathing deeply while he slept.

I allowed myself a few more minutes of quiet contentment as I lay in his strong arms before I knew I had to leave.

I wasn't sure what was wrong with me, but I was ashamed of myself.

I had never allowed myself to rely on anyone before, and I wasn't sure I wanted to start making a habit of it. Wasn't this what normal people did, though? They helped each other, they relied on people to help them when they needed it, and they helped others in return.

With my emotions warring with each other, I untangled my limbs from Dimitri's as gently and slowly as I could so I wouldn't disturb his peaceful slumber.

I had my nightgown off and form-fitting leggings and a tunic on in a matter of seconds. I was going to leave the room with little more than a glance in Dimitri's direction, but my heart won over my head and I leant over his sleeping form and pressed a feather light kiss to the corner of his mouth. He sighed in contentment in his sleep, but did not wake, for which I was grateful. The guilt was gnawing at me as I left the room, but I told myself I would explain everything later.

The sky was an odd shade of grey as the sun struggled to rise and show its face through the clouds. It was still early, so there was only one or two servants milling around the castle, no one that would question where I was going, which I was pleased about, because I had no idea where I was going.

I walked and walked and walked through the dim hallways, accompanied by nothing but the sound of my own light footsteps.

I rounded a corner and bumped into a small body. It was the young woman that helped me get ready for the ball, it felt like a lifetime ago, but really it was only the previous night. Sydney, her name was Sydney.

She jumped as our bodies collided, and the pile of sheets that she was carrying tumbled to the floor.

I remembered the fear she had tried so desperately to hide when we first met and forced a smile onto my face as I knelt beside her to help pick the sheets up.

"Hello, Sydney. I'm sorry; I wasn't looking where I was going." I said as I placed the sheets into her shaking hands.

"I'm sorry, Prin... Rose. Are you alright?" She asked hesitantly after stuttering over my name, I had to suppress an eye roll.

"Yes, I'm fine thank you; I just couldn't sleep so thought a walk would help. I was wondering if I could ask you to do something for me?" I asked.

Hey eyebrows rose, revealing her clear brown eyes. "Of course." She said.

"I think Dimitri, Captain Belikov, will be worried when he wakes up and I'm gone, I wondered if you could go round to our chambers when he wakes up and let him know that I've gone for a walk."

"Of course, I was on my way to your part of the castle anyway." She told me.

"Thank you." I said with a smile, which she reciprocated after a moment's hesitation, before we went our separate ways.

I carried on walking through parts of the castle that I was sure I had never seen before. These parts were colder and not as heavily decorated as the other, more commonly used, parts of the castle. In fact, I noticed a light layer of dust over the windowsill, and cobwebs high up in the corners between the walls and ceiling.

It seemed that not even people came down this hallway to clean.

There was one heavy looking wooden door at the end of the hallway, and nothing else.

It had taken me such a long time to get here, and I hadn't been paying attention to the turns I had been taking, I had no idea what part of the castle this was.

I reached the end of the hall and slowly, carefully, opened the door. I was pleased to find that it was not locked.

Inside was what could only be described as a tomb of sorts, though it held no memorial of a dead body that I could see, instead it held the history of an entire family.

It was hard to tell with what little light came from the window at the end of the room, the sun had not yet risen. There were sconces along the walls with candles that had never been lit.

I took a moment to stand before each one and outstretch my hand. It was difficult focussing my flame on such a small area, and I had had no time to practice recently.

I took a deep breath, and secretly hoped that I wouldn't burn the _entire_ castle down as I focussed the heat on the fingertips of my right hand, before I let out a breath and the candles on the first structure were alight. They glowed a bit too brightly, and the wax started to drip on the floor, I clenched my left fist and inhaled, willing the flame to calm itself.

I learnt from my first go, and my second try was so withdrawn that the candles struggled to light at all. By the third go, I had mastered it. And within a minute after that every candle in the room was aflame, softly burning and giving the room a flickering orange glow.

Now that I could see the entirety of the room clearly, I almost felt as if I had intruded into a place that was not mine to see.

Almost every inch of wall space was adorned with paintings. Beautiful paintings of beautiful people, held in golden frames with such intricate designs. There was a large oak table in the centre of the room, a handful of chairs neatly tucked underneath it. The stone floor was covered with a well-worn rug, which gave me the impression that this room once had a lot of use, though it was clear to see that no one visited it very often, or at all, anymore.

There was a grand bookshelf in the corner of the room; each and every book was coated in dust. Curiosity won as I carefully pulled out one of the books, the cover was blank. I opened the book to a random page, though I wasn't entirely sure why I bothered when I knew that I wouldn't be able to read a word that was in there. Despite being completely and utterly alone in here, the embarrassment caused my cheeks to heat.

Despite my lack of an ability to read, I did recognise the hand written work on the page to be a family tree, though I of course had no idea what family it could be. I was angry with myself, why couldn't I just be normal and have learnt to read? I had managed everything else by myself perfectly fine, I'm sure I could manage that too. I promised myself in that moment that I would teach myself to read one day, when everything had calmed down and I wasn't trapped on a chessboard being played by Kingdoms.

I hastily returned the book to where it belonged on the shelf and instead focussed my attention on the paintings on the walls. They were all so very detailed. Some of the paintings were of single people, whereas some were of couples, clasping each other's hands, gazing into the eyes of the other adoringly. Others were of entire families, though it was easy to see that they were all related, these paintings all depicted one bloodline. I wondered how old some of them were.

Though I couldn't name any of the people shown in the paintings, they all had somewhat familiar features. The men all had strong jaws and dark hair, whereas the women had defined cheekbones, some were blonde, some were brunette.

I had done a full circle around the edge of the room, and now stood close to the door I came in through again. Though the paintings were not dated, I had somehow established that the paintings that began on the right were the oldest; it was easy to tell when you compared the hairstyles and the fashion, as well as the colours used to paint them. They could be hundreds of years old.

Whereas the paintings on the left of the door seemed to be more recent. I stopped in front of one painting when I distantly recognised something within.

The painting showed a man and a woman, with a young girl of around 12. The girl was blonde, as was her mother, whereas her father had dark features. It was initially the crown sitting atop the woman's head that I first recognised, it was the same one that Queen Tatiana wore. But the woman shown there was not Tatiana, no, after closer inspection it was clear to see that the young girl was Tatiana, and those were her parents.

There was one more painting after that one, the most recent one. It showed Queen Tatiana as a young woman, wearing her crown, tightly gripping the hand of a young boy, he had unruly black hair and striking brown eyes, only when I looked closely could I see hints of gold there. This must be Queen Tatiana's long lost son. Both of them were smiling in the depiction, the boy was even smiling.

Though all of the frames in the room were intricately designed, and all had their own individual pattern. This one drew my attention; the gold was carved into the shape of flames.

I couldn't help myself; I trailed my fingers over the smooth frame. Was I imagining things or was the frame warm to the touch?

I knew I shouldn't have come here, I was unearthing things I had no business in seeing.

My heart kick-started when I heard a soft shuffle of fabric against the ground and I knew I was in trouble.

My hand strayed to my side, where I would normally keep a makeshift weapon concealed, but I had left my room in such a hurry that I had been wandering around empty-handed.

Instead I took a deep breath and clenched my fists; blades weren't the only weapon I had at my disposal. The candles in the room flickered as I turned around to meet my fate.

I could have laughed at myself when I turned to find no one there, no unforeseen danger coming to put me on the butchering block for trespassing.

Though a flicker of movement at the table in the centre of the room told me that I was not completely alone after all.

A butterfly rested atop the table, lightly flapping its golden wings as it watched me from across the room. A chill ran down my spine, what an odd place for such a beautiful creature to dwell.

The butterfly took flight, and gracefully flapped its way over to where I stood, but instead flew past me and hovered by the painting I was just examining, as if it too wanted to take a moment to appreciate the image.

I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I lifted my hand, so the palm of my hand was facing up towards the winged creature, it seemed to hesitate for only a moment before lowering itself onto the palm of my hand.

It was so very light, I wouldn't even know it was there if I could not see it with my own eyes.

Its wings were a work of art; they were golden with flecks of red, brown and oddly grey.

It regarded me for a moment, and I could only stare back, considering the rarity of the moment. We stayed that way for only a moment before the thing took flight again, this time heading towards the window.

I was shocked to notice that the sun had now broken through the clouds, the day had begun. The butterfly flapped impatiently by the window as I worked at opening it. I couldn't blame it for wanting to get out of this room; I had to wonder how long it had been trapped in there for. The damn window was rusted shut, but with a little brute force it came loose and blessed the room with a gust of fresh morning air. The golden beast had flapped off without a second glance.

I saw a familiar figure stalking through the gardens below and soon took my own leave from the room filled with long-forgotten memories.

There were more people milling around the castle now, but I avoided their glances and kept my eyes on my feet, my mind was whirling, how can the Queens son have just disappeared, they claimed that he had died in the attack by the Ivashkovs, but was a body ever discovered?

I let my mind focus on other things as I found Dimitri outside, deep in the woodland surrounding the castle. I wasn't sure how I found him so easily, but I just seemed to have a sense of him now. The sun was shining down on him, making his loose hair glow, there was a cool breeze flowing through the air. He was standing in an opening in the woodland; his back was facing towards me. Was he waiting for me?

I glanced over my shoulder quickly, checking that we were completely alone before I began stalking my prey.

I willed my footsteps to be silent and not even the trees made a sound as I crept up on him.

We hadn't sparred in such a long time, I craved the breathlessness and the peace that came from learning his movements as well as I knew my own.

I was mere inches away now, my hands were itching and my knees were bent.

I made my move.

He was waiting for me.

I was pinned in a matter of seconds.

I didn't mind one bit when I saw the smile grace his features and found that it matched my own.

"Cocky bastard." I growled as he pulled me to my feet. We got into our defensive stance, and began our own lethal dance.

 **There we have Chapter 18! It may not seem like it, but I feel like more clues and hints are falling into place now, let me tell you I've got something big in mind and I'm really just building up to when they return to the Ivashkov Kingdom. Thank you all so much for all your reviews for the last chapter, as well as the birthday wishes. It honestly makes me feel so much better to know that you're all there eagerly awaiting the next chapter, though I do feel awful for sometimes making you wait longer than you should have to, but it's almost impossible for me to sit down and write during the week. So yeah, just thank you so much for all of your follows, favourites in and reviews, I honestly appreciate it more than you can know and it makes my day to read your lovely comments. I'm sorry the chapters are getting a bit shorter than usual too, but hopefully they'll get longer as we go further into the plot. Anyway, thanks again, hope you're all well!**


	19. Chapter 19

Dimitri and I stood facing each other, knee's slightly bent, fists clenched and raised. Dimitri had his beautiful silver sword hanging at his side, but he left it untouched, he knew I didn't have a weapon, and was keeping this a fair fight.

He raised an eyebrow as a cool wind whipped at my hair; I bared my teeth in a silent threat, which only made him smirk in response.

A hawk cawed somewhere in the distance and I acted. I feinted a punch to his left but instead swung my leg to his right side. I didn't fool him though. He lifted an arm which took the blow of my kick rather than his shoulder where I had aimed it, and he then swung his leg low, trying to unbalance me. I hopped over it with ease.

We circled each other like this for some time, neither of us getting the upper hand on the other. We were equal to each other.

The wind picked up, it began roaring around us, and thunder rumbled somewhere behind me and I knew Dimitri wanted to make things interesting. If he wanted to play dirty, then we could play dirty.

A ring of fire surrounded us and I saw Dimitri's eyebrows shoot up in his surprise.

The flames danced to the height of our hips, but I kept the heat as low as possible, I wanted to practice using my flame in battle, but I didn't want to hurt Dimitri when doing so.

Dimitri sent a gust of wind towards my flames, sending them away from us. A light layer of sweat had formed on my forehead as I worked on keeping the flames steady.

The power within me was like a well, and I had no idea how deep the well went. The more power that flowed out of me, the deeper I went within the well. What if there was no bottom?

A bolt of lightning struck a tree to my right, and the impact was so loud that it caught me off guard. The power from the bolt thundered through the ground and made my bones rattle.

That second of surprise was all Dimitri needed, and he rushed straight at me.

He reached me within the blink of an eye, and his hands gripped my upper arms as tight as a vice, he pushed me back until my back collided with a thick tree, a grunt left my lips as my bones absorbed the impact.

Every inch of his body was pressed against mine, I wanted to give in to the temptation and let him win as the feral look from the fight faded from his eyes and was instead replaced by one filled with lust and longing.

I ground my hips against his, and heard him groan as he rested his forehead on my shoulder, breathing me in deeply.

But no, I wasn't finished playing yet.

I set the flames around us roaring above our heads, and The Captain sensed my actions a heartbeat before I moved, it still didn't give him long enough to react though.

I hooked my leg behind his and shoved him with all my weight so that he stumbled back. My flames parted for him and thunder rumbled through the distance as his back connected with the hard earth.

I leapt on top of him before he could take the chance to recover, I pinned his arms above his head and held his legs down with my own.

I had won.

His smile was radiant.

My flames dissipated into nothing, and his harsh wind turned into a soothing breeze that kissed the sweat that had started to drip down the back of my neck.

He strained against my grip on his arms, but I held firm, a smirk growing on my face, which only caused a growl to rumble deep from within his chest. But the game was over, and so I slowly released his hands and instead rested mine on his hard chest, which rose and fell with his heavy breaths.

One of his hands came up and brushed the hair that had fallen in front of my face behind my ear, and the other gently caressed my cheek, such a contrast to the punches we had been throwing only moments before.

I couldn't help but smile as his touch sent shocks through my bones and to my very core.

His returning smile made my heart stop in a way that I knew was dangerous, but I couldn't drag myself away. "Such a beautiful sight."

I leant down so that my chest brushed his and placed a kiss to his jaw.

I intended for it to only last a second, but when I went to pull away his hand found its way into my hair and he held me close. Our breaths mingled together, and he gave me a moment to pull away if I wanted to. I didn't.

And so he closed the distance between us and his lips pressed against mine.

It was slow and so heavenly sweet.

Our lips danced together as his other hand gripped my waist, keeping me pressed firmly against him.

His tongue brushed against my lips, asking for entrance which I granted without a second thought, and then our tongues met and a groan escaped his lips as his grip on me tightened.

I didn't think we could possibly get any closer until he was suddenly pulling me up into his arms before I was roughly pressed against the same tree from earlier. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist, bringing my groin dangerously close to his as his lips recaptured mine.

My fingers threaded through his hair and my nails scraped against his scalp, causing him to nip at my bottom lip which only spurred me on.

His hands were gripping my thighs, which were spread to accommodate his hips which were edging so close to mine. While one of his thumbs gently massaged one of my thighs, the other gripped mine so tightly I knew it would likely leave a mark. I couldn't find it in myself to care.

He pulled his lips from mine, but instead of stopping his ministrations, he instead continued them down my jaw and even further down to my neck. I was breathing heavily, and his name escaped my lips in a breathless whisper.

"I never thought," He began to say between kisses. "That I could need someone," He continued. "As desperately as I need you."

He reluctantly pulled himself away, but kept hold of me tight as he gazed into my eyes. "I am with you, Roza. To whatever end." It was an unbelievably dangerous confession.

I realised I had been holding myself back from him, I hadn't yet let him see every part of me, because I was ashamed and afraid that he would run. But none of it seemed to matter to him; he was with me no matter what.

And so I brushed my hand against his stubble covered cheek, and meant every word that I said to him. "To whatever end." I agreed, and it was a promise. No, it was more than a promise, it was a bond. I could almost feel the words tying us together.

Though I knew that we both had more words to say, now was neither the time nor the place. The time would come where we would get the chance to share our deepest feelings and desires, but this was not it. Because we didn't know how our story would end, but we did know that however it ended, it would end with us together.

He pressed his lips to mine again, though this time it conveyed all the words that we knew we couldn't say to each other.

A twig snapped somewhere within the distant woods, and my heart seized with panic.

Though Dimitri and I had more or less just declared ourselves to the other, to the outside eye I was still engaged to Adrian Ivashkov, and Dimitri was the Captain of the Ivashkov Royal Guard.

Dimitri set me gently on the ground, and I straightened up my tunic as his hand strayed to the sword that hung at his hip, his hand rested on the beautifully engraved pommel.

Dimitri pulled out a golden pocket watch from the pocket of his tunic and flipped it open to read the time. "I had better be going. The Queens Captain wanted to exchange notes."

The goodness of this man never ceased to amaze me. "You are an incredible man, Dimitri Belikov." I told him before pressing one last chaste kiss to his lips.

"These are good people, Roza. I'll help them if I can." I gave him a smile which I hoped conveyed the words that I could not speak, and I watched him walk away until I could no longer see him.

A flapping in the corner of my eye drew my attention to the hawk that I had heard cawing earlier. It was a beautiful brown bird, sat atop one of the branches of the tree to my left, the tree that I had previously been pressed up against. It watched me very closely, and didn't move a muscle. The brown feathers seemed to almost glow in the sun, giving them a golden look that I had seen all over the castle.

I made my way back to the castle slowly, taking my time to breathe in the pine filled scent of the woods, and I felt the hawk watching me the entire time.

I was halfway to the castle now, and the trees were thicker here, twice if not three times the width of me. I used that excuse as the reason for why I didn't see Queen Tatiana standing behind one until she was right next to me.

"Your majesty! I'm sorry, you startled me." I stuttered after jumping almost 6 feet in the air and wanting to grab a weapon that I knew wasn't there.

She stood regarding me for a moment, spending a lot of time focussing on my eyes and hair. I used the time to admire her dress, she wore a beautiful golden gown, as she always seemed to, and her greying hair seemed to glow in the sunlight. She was not beautiful; I could see that years of the burdens of the throne on her shoulders had taken their toll, though she was regal, and I expected that she would be until she took her last breath.

"You need to leave, child." Though she spoke the words clearly, I knew I must have misheard her. My pulse picked up its pace at the thought of all of my secrets being revealed. My eyes glanced around the woods out of instinct, searching for her guards which were no doubt hidden, drawing their swords, ready to sever my neck or drag me off to some forgotten dungeon.

"Calm yourself. It is only you and I out here." Her words did not encourage me to calm myself.

"I know who you are, child. I know what you are, I know more about who you are than even you do. The pieces are falling into place, you need to leave now and finish what you have started." Her words sounded crazy, and without seeing the seriousness in her eyes, I would have thought she was insane.

"Forgive me, your Majesty, have I done something wrong?" I said, still trying to figure out what on earth she was talking about.

"No, dear, on the contrary. I had my doubts, but I knew who you were the moment I set eyes on you. I've been watching you very closely, and you have all the tools you need now to do what has to be done." She continued.

"Please, I don't have _anything_ , I'm a nobody." I tried explaining to her.

"You will return to the Ivashkov Kingdom as the assassin, and you will do what needs to be done. But just know this, that when the time comes, this Kingdom- _our_ Kingdom- is behind you, we are with you. We have been waiting almost 20 years to find you."

"Your Majesty, please, you aren't making any sense!" I pleaded with her, she was talking in riddles.

What had happened nearly 20 years ago that would mean she was waiting for me? And what did she want me to do when I returned to the Ivashkov Kingdom? A ringing had started in my ears and I had to will myself to calm my thundering heart.

"You really have no idea who your parents are?" She asked, her eyes filling with sorrow. Though she snapped herself out of it almost instantly. "Please child, you must go now. A boat will take you and Captain Belikov back to the Ivashkov Kingdom. Take what you need; Sydney will supply you with weapons and provisions." She was gripping my shoulders now, gently pushing me in the direction of the castle.

"Go now, Rosemarie, and know that we are all with you. You are not alone." She pushed me harder, with more strength than I would have guessed she had.

My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, imprinting every word she said to memory for when I need them later.

I was half walking, half running towards the castle now, the urgency in the Queen's voice pushing me further.

I had reached the edge of the forest now, and turned to see if the Queen was still where I had last seen her.

I stopped with a gasp at the sight I had left behind.

I had of course wondered what the Queen's power was. I knew she must have one, as all Royals do, but I had never known what it was, until now.

Because I no longer saw the Queen watching me walk away, no, it was the same golden hawk from before.

The Queen was a shape shifter.

 **There we have it my friends! Chapter 19 and its revelations! I honestly wasn't planning on revealing quite so much in this chapter, but I feel like the pieces about Rose's past are falling into place. What is going to happen when she gets back to the Ivashkov Kingdom? Anyway, thank you all so much for all of your support, especially those of you who follow, favourite and review, and just for reading! I hope that this chapter wasn't too confusing towards the end; I wanted to give away hints but still wanted an air of mystery around it. And damn what a kiss! Oh how I want Dimitri Belikov to press me up against a tree and kiss me. *swoons*. Again, the chapter wasn't as long as I was hoping it would be, and so I apologise for that. But I really hope you enjoyed it, please let me know what you think!**


	20. Chapter 20

I stood and faced the Queen in her new form for a moment or two; I was frozen to the spot.

The golden hawk- Her Majesty the Queen- sat for a moment, regarding me with what I was sure was a smirk and puffed out her feathers, as if I should have connected the dots sooner. Perhaps I should have. After all, she did seem to appear almost out of thin air, and she always seemed to know things that she should have had no way of knowing.

I couldn't help but wonder if this was her only form, or if she could shift into all manner of things?

As if sensing my question, she took off into flight, soaring through the air. She flew over my head, so closely that the beat of her wings ruffled my hair. I watched her fly away, and just when she was past me, a flash of golden light formed and suddenly she was no longer a hawk, but instead a golden butterfly.

I recognised that butterfly.

It was the one that had followed me in the room that held all of those paintings of the Queen's bloodlines. She knew I had been snooping, and yet she still trusted me.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts once the Queen had flapped out of sight. I had more pressing matters to attend to. Like finding Dimitri and packing bags and going back to the Ivashkov Kingdom to face who knows what.

With newly-found determination, I gritted my teeth and stormed my way into the castle. I took the stairs two at a time and headed towards our living chambers, I figured it was the first place I should look for him. How on earth was I going to explain all of this to him?

When I finally reached the familiar door, I threw it open, not entirely sure what to expect on the other side.

What I did not expect to find was a hard wall of flesh that enveloped me as soon as I was through the door.

His warm, hard chest pressed against my cheek, and through it I could hear his heartbeat thundering like a herd of horse's hooves pounding on the earth at a gallop. His arms circled me, one gripping my waist and the other at the back of my head, his fingers tangled themselves in my hair.

"Are you ok?" He spoke with such urgency. "What is going on, Roza?"

He finally pulled away from me, and I took the time to collect my thoughts and take in our surroundings. Our bags were out, half packed, and with them sat a huge trunk filled with all sorts of weapons- from throwing knives to daggers to grand swords.

I looked to Dimitri once again, hoping he would explain what he knew before I delved into my story. "I was on my way to my meeting with the Head of the Queens Guard, he met me in the hallway and said that things had changed at that we are to leave, and that you would explain the rest. He gave me all these weapons, Rose. What is happening?"

I took a deep breath. "The Queen came to me; I'm still not entirely sure what caused her to come to me now. But she seems to think that I am important, and that we need to go back to the Ivashkov Kingdom and _do what needs to be done,_ whatever the hell that is. Maybe the King is planning another attack? But either way, Comrade, we need to stop it. This Kingdom is with us, they're innocent people, and we need to help them." I was breathing heavily by the end of my explanation, I knew I was being vague, but I still had such little information to go off.

"I'm with you Rose, no matter what. But there are innocent people in the Ivashkov Kingdom too." The goodness of Dimitri's heart never ceased to amaze me.

"I know, Dimitri. We're not attacking the Kingdom, we're attacking the King."

A thought hit me then, a thought so terrifying that for a moment my heart seized and I couldn't get any air into my lungs. Dimitri had served King Ivashkov for such a long time; he was the head of his Guard, one of his most loyal subjects, and here I was asking him to be on my side, when In reality I had no idea where he stood amongst all of this.

He was about to speak but I interrupted him. "Dimitri." I started. "I know that these are your people, you have served the King for so long, you are loyal to him. I know what I need to do, but... but you don't have to be a part of this."

He looked physically pained, and for a moment I wondered if maybe I had gone too far, if maybe he would try to stop me.

He smiled, and it was full of sorrow, I knew this was hard for him. "I always knew the King was dangerous, I just didn't let myself see it. But I am loyal to _you_ , Roza, and nobody else. To whatever end, remember?" He was closer to me now, and his hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushed away a tear I didn't realise had fallen.

"To whatever end." I promised and pressed a kiss to his lips.

I pulled away sooner than I would have liked, but there would be plenty of time for that when the job was done.

"There's a boat waiting for us, we need to be quick. But I need to do something first." I left Dimitri continuing to pack our bags. He was on edge, and promised me that if I wasn't back in 10 minutes then he would come looking for me. I knew without a doubt that he would come in 8.

I ran down the halls towards Lissa's room, and just hoped that she and Christian were in there.

I banged my fist against the door twice, but didn't wait for an answer. I just hoped that they were dressed and not otherwise occupied.

I saw them sitting on one of the plush couches in the room, Lissa was reading a book, and Christian was slowly stroking her hair while gazing out of the window. That is, until I stormed in.

The sight struck something deep within me and paralyzed me for a moment.

Don't get me wrong, I was happy that they were happy, they deserved it. But for a moment pure jealousy overwhelmed my every pore. I had never had a moment to just sit down and rest my feet, Dimitri and I had never had a moment to just enjoy each other's company. But the sight only made the flicker of hope inside me blaze brighter. I could have it one day. I _would_ have it one day.

"Rose, what's going on? Are you alright?" Lissa asked, on her feet in an instant with Christian right behind her.

"I'm fine, I am so sorry I have to do this here and now, but Dimitri and I are leaving, we need to go back to the Ivashkov Kingdom and sort some things." Lissa was in front of me in a heartbeat, gripping my hands in her own. Her grip was strong despite her petite size.

"Please, Rose, it seems like you only just got here." She pleaded with me, tears lining the edges of her eyes.

"Just know that I am so grateful for your friendship, and that I will see you again, there are just things that I need to do that can't be done here. You made this place feel like a home to me, thank you." Lissa pulled me into a fierce hug.

"Please be safe, Rose." It was like she knew that what I was doing was dangerous, how could she know?

"You will always be my friend, Lissa, my sister." I promised her.

"Until we meet again." Lissa whispered in my ear before pulling away.

I was glad that she was taking this so well and wasn't demanding answers from me; I think she understood how difficult this was for me.

Christian approached me next, his fists clenched. I would understand if he was mad at me, I would take the blows if he threw them.

My muscles tensed, ready for the impact as he reached me, but he instead threw his arms around me and embraced me.

"I know you can't tell us what's going on, but just know that we are with you, we're here when you need us." He said beneath his breath as he gripped me.

"Thank you, Christian; you have no idea how much it means to me." I told him. "Please, look after her."

"Always." He whispered as he pulled away.

I walked away then, and I didn't dare look back. The last thing I saw was Christian embracing Lissa, and her quietly sobbing into his neck, and I felt my heart break a little. I knew that fracture wouldn't heal until I saw them again.

I reached my bedroom door just as Dimitri pulled our bags through them. He saw my tear-stained cheeks and embraced me without a word.

We stood that way for a moment, savouring the moment like it was our last. Before I pulled away and wiped away my tears with the sleeve of my top.

I grabbed our bags while Dimitri hauled the trunk of weapons all the way to the docks, where we walked aboard the boat which would sail us across the sea to our fates.

Dimitri and I would be sharing a room this time, there were only a few bedrooms, and we seemed to be the only passengers who weren't workers, the Queen had organised our transport, I had to say I was hoping for something a little more elegant, but I suppose she wanted us to be discreet.

The room was larger than the one I had on the way here, and there was two single beds pressed against either wall with a nightstand in the middle, and one small round window in the wall which showed nothing but the vast, endless sea.

I dumped the bags down on the beds and walked straight back out onto the deck so that I could watch as we sailed away from the Kingdom that I had grown to love.

I listened to the workmen and sailors shouting orders to each other as they prepared for the boat to sail, a warm breeze kissed my skin and I admired the people milling about on the docks, going about their daily business. They had no idea about the dangers of what could be coming, or who had been in their midst.

Dimitri appeared by my side some time later, just as the boat began to sail away. Neither of us said anything, he just placed his hand on top of mine where it rested on the railing, and I rested my head against his shoulder as we watched the Kingdom disappear.

A bird realised a cry from above us, and I looked up to see a golden hawk circling above us. A Queen saying goodbye to her people.

-xXx-

After a week on that God-damn boat, the boredom had driven me to near-insanity.

Dimitri had started to teach me to read and write, much to my embarrassment. And by the end of the week I could read and write basic sentences and words, but even that couldn't hold the boredom at bay.

I found Dimitri on the deck of the boat and slid the sword at my hip free from where it was sheathed.

He turned to face me at the sound, and lifted an eyebrow in response.

"I'm bored out of my mind, Dimitri. Spar with me." I said while getting myself into a fighting stance and watched him finally do the same after he contemplated it for a moment.

We danced in circles for a while, the sound of our swords clashing together and the waves crashing against the boat were the only sounds to be heard, along with the occasional curse word muttered under my breath when Dimitri got past my defences.

It felt good to work my body again; I hated being cooped up here, though I had tried to use my bodies in other ways, ways that involved Dimitri's body too.

Though every time it got to a certain point, he would pull away and mutter under his breath. _Not here, not now. When I can take my time with you, and when I can make you scream as loud as you want._

His words only made my skin burn hotter.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts which were getting dirtier by the second when Dimitri's sword crashed down against my own, making the bones in my arms sing at the impact.

"It's so good to be out here sparring again." I said after getting past Dimitri's defences once more.

He only grunted in agreement. "It's just a shame we can't go running here." He replied while swinging his sword high above his head, a cooling breeze whipped at his hair which was loose from its tie today.

I rolled my eyes at his response. "What is your obsession with running?"

It was his turn to sigh this time, and he lowered his sword. I lowered mine in turn and took a step towards him. "I'm not obsessed with it; I just understand its importance."

"More important than fighting?" I asked with a smirk.

"It can be." He said, my smirk fell as I listened to his words. "If you're stuck in a situation where fighting isn't an option, if you have no weapons or you're outnumbered, maybe you're injured and the enemy is overpowering you, what do you do?"

"I go down fighting." I said with a grin, hoping to lighten the mood.

My words did the exact opposite, and instead sorrow filled his eyes. "I hope to God that you don't. If you're in that situation where there is no use in fighting, you run."

I took in his words and rolled them over in my head, I suppose he did make sense.

"Promise me, Rose; promise me if it comes to it, you'll run." I knew he was being serious when he called me Rose rather than Roza. His hand came up and his thumb brushed against my cheek.

"I promise." I told him.

He pulled me towards him and held me close. "I'm sorry." He muttered into my hair. "I just can't imagine losing you."

His words made my heart swell and my throat tighten. "You won't." I replied.

He pulled away from me then, gazing out onto the horizon.

I saw him watching with a haunted look on his beautiful face and followed his gaze.

There, in the distance. The Ivashkov Kingdom was in sight. The time had come.

 **There we have Chapter 20! Thank you all so much for waiting so patiently. I was walking my two dogs through the woods by my house yesterday and walking through there always seems to give me inspiration to write, and so I made a plan for the next few chapters and finished this chapter, so more is on its way, and the action is only just beginning, though I can't promise when the chapters will be up. Do any of you guys have dogs? I absolutely love talking about dog's hahaha. Thank you all again so much for all of your support, just for reading my stories and for favouriting, following and reviewing, you have no idea how much it means to me! Until next time, I hope you're all well.**


	21. Chapter 21

When the boat finally stopped in the harbour and we were given the all clear to disembark, I practically leapt over the little bridge that had been placed between the edge of the boat and the solid earth. I had half a mind to kiss the ground. Dimitri rolled his eyes at my behaviour with a small smile on his face.

We hailed a horse and carriage to take us up to the castle. I had considered being more discreet and sneaking into the castle, and dealing with the King with the element of surprise on my side, but I knew, deep down, that the King knew as soon as our ship appeared in front of his Kingdom over the horizon. He had eyes everywhere.

And the King had been the one to send me away, after all. He surely has no idea what had been happening these past few weeks while I was across the seas, or the secrets that I had unearthed.

Dimitri and I sat in the carriage in tense silence, though our hands were joined between us, and his thumb slowly, reassuringly, massaged the back of my hand.

We finally pulled up to the Castle, it seemed the same, and yet different. It seemed to be still, like even the stones were holding their breath as we pulled up to a stop.

We stepped out of the carriage, Dimitri holding the door open for me like the gentleman he was and would always be, and he handed a few coins to the driver.

I wasn't dressed as the fake Princess Rose that I was supposed to be today, no, I was just dressed as Rose. I was clothed in black skin tight leggings with leather boots which came up to my knees, several daggers were hidden there. I also had on a cape that I had found in one of my wardrobes and taken favour to, it made me feel powerful when I walked and the fabric flowed behind me. And it was perfect for hiding more weapons. I had a sword hanging at my hip, and several more daggers hidden on my body. But I knew, deep down, that they didn't even come close in comparison to the weapon at my fingertips. The ability to summon fire.

Dimitri was dressed similarly to me, though he had on his typical duster and was also no doubt armed to the teeth.

I was expecting the guards at the door to greet us warm smiles and a slap on the back for Dimitri, these were his men, he was their Captain. What I did not expect was for them to share a tense look, their faces solemn, before they approached us with their hands hovering over their swords.

"Peters, Reyes, what's the problem?" Dimitri asked his men, his voice low and gravelly.

"Orders, Sir. We were told to take you to the Throne room immediately after your arrival. Please, come with us." I could tell they didn't enjoy this, they had always respected Dimitri, as all of his men had. He was a fair leader, but who did they answer to now, if not Dimitri?

Dimitri stepped in front of my protectively. "You aren't taking us anywhere."

One of the men- Reyes- raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Not both of you, just you, Captain." Now it was my turn to be surprised. What the hell did the King want with Dimitri that he didn't want with me?

"No way, you're not taking him anywhere." I said, my right hand falling to the hilt of my sword out of instinct while I flexed the fingertips of my other hand, the flames dancing just beneath my skin.

Dimitri saw the action and quickly grabbed my wrist, pulling it away. "Rose, it's ok, I'll go with them." He said, though his words were calm, a strong wind had started to form, the only sign to his unease. The grand oak door swung open and two more guards stepped out. I noticed that it was my favoured guards, Ashford and Castille, they had become almost friends in the time I spent here.

"Rose... Lady Rose, we are here to escort you to your chambers." It was Castille who spoke; red-haired Ashford only looked on with sadness in his eyes. I didn't like this one bit.

"I think I'll escort Dimitri to the Throne room, actually." I said, making my way up the remaining steps.

"I'm afraid that can't happen. We're sorry, it's orders." Mason then said, looking truly apologetic as he stepped into my path, stopping me from going any further.

But Dimitri was not defenceless and neither was I. He would be ok.

I nodded at him, and he grazed his hand against my cheek in what I prayed was not a farewell before turning and leaving with the two guards, the sight of their hands on his arms made my heart clench. Something didn't feel right.

"What in the name of Hell is going on?" I growled as I stormed through the castle a moment later with Ashford and Castille on either side of me.

"Really, we don't know. Things have been... different, since you two left. Things have been changing. The King is demanding more from us, giving us odd orders with no explanation and no choice but to obey." Mason then admitted.

I didn't like the sound of this one bit.

We finally reached my bedroom door and I swung it open. My room looked and felt exactly the same as it had before I left, as if nothing had changed at all. When in reality, so much had changed. I was somehow linked to a powerful Kingdom that I had never stepped foot in before, and I had made lifelong friends, and yet the room felt as if I had never left.

I threw my bag on the floor and began pacing, Eddie and Mason took up their positions by the door, I wasn't entirely sure why they felt the need to guard me even in my room, but I had more pressing matters to worry about in that moment in time. And part of me wondered if they were there to keep me in more than they were to keep others out.

"Do you know why the King has been changing things around here? Is he planning something?" I questioned as I stalked from one end of the room to the other, and then back again.

"Really Rose, if we knew, we would tell you." It was Mason that spoke again, but Eddie nodded in agreement.

I huffed out a breath of frustration and clenched my fists, cooling the heat that had begun to crackle in my veins. Now was not the time to throw a temper tantrum, not when that tantrum could very well result in the castle going up in flames.

They let me pace for a while, until finally the silence was broken.

"The castle really has been a lot quieter without you causing trouble." Mason said with a little too much forced enthusiasm, I was sure that my pacing was making them uncomfortable.

I wasn't sure how long I had been pacing for, it could have been 5 minutes, it could have been 30, but I had had enough. The faint crack of thunder somewhere in the distance finally snapped my patience.

"You know what guys; I think I might go for a walk until Dimitri comes back." I said while making my way towards the door, where they still both stood.

I was just about to reach for the door when Eddie's arm shot out, blocking my path. "Rose." He said, making me look at him, and then his colleague.

"Why won't you let me leave?" I demanded, panic surging in my chest.

"Please," Mason begged. "Just stay here, we're trying to protect you."

"Like hell you are. What's going on?" I begged, trying to calm my erratically beating heart.

The words they uttered next were not what I was expecting to hear, and they were far worse than I was expecting.

"Dimitri is in trouble."

The words could have meant anything, but the full weight of the situation finally hit me. The guards being edgy around Dimitri, Mason and Eddie keeping me out of the way to protect me, and the King summoning Dimitri alone, without me.

Flames rushed through my veins, an inferno erupting in my chest, burning so brightly that I had to bite the inside of my lip until it bled to stifle the urge to release my flames.

If the power was strengthened by my emotions, they were raging now.

"You need to get out of my way right now, before I do something I may later regret." I warned them.

"Rose." Mason said, as he went to grip my arm, to plead with me.

He jerked his hand back and hissed in pain as soon as his skin made contact with mine. I hadn't meant to hurt him, but the flames were trying to escape in any way that they could, I was trying to control it, but the sheer panic flooding my veins was doing little to help.

I used the moment of surprise to my advantage and was out of the door before they could even blink.

I was glad that I had taken the time to walk through every hallway of this castle during my stay here, it meant that I could go a less direct route, but cut corners where I could so that the two guards wouldn't catch me on my way and so that I would still beat them there. At one point I even sprinted through some of the servants passages.

My course through the maze meant that I reached the doors to the throne room a long while before Eddie and Mason did, and I didn't even think to hesitate before I threw the doors open.

The sight before me was one that shattered my heart into millions of pieces.

It was as if I could physically feel my heart crumbling into nothing.

My breath was stolen from my lungs, the edges of my vision darkened and it felt like I was sinking through quick sand.

Dimitri had been beaten to within an inch of his life.

He was on his knees, surrounded by four guards who were all covered in his blood. Though I did notice that some of the blood was their own, and that he hadn't gone down without a fight.

Dimitri's weapons were thrown across the floor, he still upright and breathing, which made my bones floor with relief. But he was cut all over, and one of his eyes was already swollen shut. His hair was matted with blood and I could barely recognise him.

A whimper that sounded a lot like my name escaped from his mouth when he looked up and saw me standing there and I felt like my chest had caved in on itself.

"Hello Your Majesty." It was then that I noticed King Ivashkov sitting on his throne, with a smug smile on his face.

He was flanked by Adrian, who looked pained. He could go to hell, they all could. I would gladly send them on their way.

It took me a second to realise that it was the King who had spoken, and that he had addressed me as _your majesty._ I had no time to process the information; I scanned Dimitri's form again. One of the guards had his sword pressed up against Dimitri's neck, and he was being held in place my solid ice that sealed him to the ground by his knees.

The guards in the room took a step towards me, and I found that two were dead before their feet even hit the ground. My knives found their marks, straight through the left eye socket.

The sound of their bodies dropping to the floor was the only noise for a split second before rest of the guards drew their swords, the song of steel against steel as they were released from their sheaths at the guard's hips.

A flick of my wrists meant two more hit the ground, never to rise again.

I hadn't meant to make scene dramatic, but I was filled with such blind fury that the adrenaline coursing through my blood meant that I didn't even need to move my feet to kill the majority of the guards.

The next guard was also dead before he even fell to the floor, and for a moment the guilt threatened to drown me. But these men had betrayed their Captain, and I was overwhelmed with pure, undiluted rage.

I had run out of throwing knives by the time the last two guards approached me. And they did not back down.

I finally drew my sword and bent my knees before we danced.

I could see Dimitri struggling against the ice that held him in place while I fought. And the distraction cost me a deep slice to my thigh, though not nearly as much as it cost the final two guards which I finished off with my sword through the first ones chest and the second's stomach.

I took a step towards Dimitri, planning to burn through the ice and get him the hell out of here, but the King's voice stopped me in my tracks. "Take one more step towards him, and I will slit his throat before you can blink." The King reiterated his words by coating Dimitri's shoulders with ice until it circled his throat. His breaths came out in clouds of air.

"Now, you are going to tell me what I need to know, before I do something you might not like very much." The King said, the grey moustache covering his upper lip lifted into a sneer.

"I'm not telling you anything." I growled as I clenched my fists, the flames beneath my skin burning to get out and take revenge. But I couldn't reveal my secret just yet; I had to wait just a little while longer until I could unleash hell.

"Oh, I really don't think you have much of a choice." The King said with a laugh as my feet were suddenly clamped to the ground with ice which grew and covered my body until my hands were coated in it. The whole thing happened within the blink of an eye.

"Now tell me everything about Tatiana and her Kingdom."

A bared my teeth in a feral growl. "Go to hell." And then I exploded into flame.

The ice around me shattered, flying into all directions.

My flames were free, and I was ready to unleash hell.

 **There we have Chapter 21! I'm so so so sorry for the long wait; I can only hope that this chapter makes up for it! Things are starting to spice up a bit now. I've got a vague idea of what's going on in the next chapter, though I haven't really set it in stone yet, so do let me know if you have any suggestions. Should Abe make an appearance? Anyway, thank you all so much for you support, it honestly means so much to me. The weather has been nice here in England recently which is nice, though I've been cooped up at work pretty much all of the time, so I'm looking forward to next week as I'm going on holiday to Crete! Let me know if you guys have any holidays lined up or if you've been anywhere nice so far this year. And thank you all so much for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing. I honestly appreciate the support more than you can know. Thanks so much, I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but just know I won't ever give up on this story!**


	22. Chapter 22

I was a hurricane of flames. The heat from them melting the cage of ice that held Dimitri to the ground, and he slumped to the floor without the freezing walls holding him up.

The King's face had gone white with shock. Hah, he wasn't expecting that.

I was by Dimitri's side in an instant, attempting to support his weight so that I could get him out of there, but rather than helping me, he just smiled and ran his fingers through my hair like it might be the last time he had the chance to do so. The thought made my chest tighten to the point of pain.

The moment of distraction cost me, and I was thrown into the wall behind me with a blast of ice that made my bones sing from the impact, warm blood swelled at the back of my head. Dimitri was coated in ice again before I could even get to my feet.

The King was smiling when I looked at him again. Not a kind smile, no. This was a feral smile, like he had just come to a realisation that made him beyond happy. The thought made me sick.

"Such a prize. You don't even know who you are, do you?" He said though manic laughter.

I ignored the King's words, and instead worked at slowly, discreetly, melting the ice coating Dimitri's body.

I noticed Adrian at that moment too, he was also white with whatever he and his terrible Father had just come to realise, whatever it was, and I didn't care about it right now. Who the hell am I? I'm nobody, I'm nothing.

There was such guilt in the young man's eyes; I almost forgot that we were supposed to be engaged. Oh, how things had changed.

He hadn't made a move to harm either myself or Dimitri, and I remembered that they used to be friends once upon a time. He wasn't even defending us.

My fists were circled in flames now. "Such a pretty party trick." The King drawled from his throne. He hadn't even stood up yet, not a drop of sweat. "Don't you want to know who you inherited those flames from?"

I rolled my eyes as the flames danced up my arms. "Not really, no." I said before throwing two burning balls of flames towards the King's head. Adrian ducked out of the way just in time. I'd deal with him later.

My flames didn't find their mark though, and were instead melted into nothing but ice. I would have thought the King unfazed by my flames if it weren't for the sweat now forming on his wrinkled forehead. The biggest threat to his power was my own. No one like me had ever put up a fight.

I saw the shards of ice form just a second before they were sent flying in my direction. They were huge, clear shards of ice the length of swords. Three in total.

Dimitri was lying too close to me.

I was on my feet in an instant. A swing of my arm sent a warm gust of air sliding Dimitri across the room, far away from the firing line. I didn't have time to be surprised at the new trick I had just learnt, I had only enough time to send a shield of flames in front of me, melting the ice swords before they could meet their mark, they were nothing but a cool gust of air by the time they reached my face, cooling the sweat that had begun to drip down my blood soaked temple.

The King's fists were clenched now. I sensed that I was the only one to have survived his attacks for this long.

I wondered how long my luck would last.

I sent up a wall of flames. I just needed to get to Dimitri.

The King and his useless son were blocked out of sight by my roaring flames, and I took the opportunity to spring across the room, where Dimitri was trying to get to his feet.

When I reached his side, he all but collapsed on top of me. But instead of pulling me closer, he pushed me away.

"Dimitri, we need to go." I begged as I tugged him with me, he only pushed me further away.

"Roza, you need to get out of here. They won't let me leave, but you can still get out of here alive." His lightly stubbled jaw was crusted with drying blood, and one of his beautiful eyes was swollen almost completely shut, and had started to turn black and blue with bruises.

"Roza, I'm begging you. I can't help you, but please, do this for me. Get out while you can." He lifted a hand and brushed away a tear I hadn't realised had fallen. "I'll give you an opening; you just have to take it. I'll be fine, Roza, I just need to know that you are safe."

"No-" I had started to protest, but the King had frozen his way through my powerful wall of flames, and a shockingly cold block of ice shoved me away and pressed me into one of the walls of the throne room. I felt my bones creak and my lungs shrink under the pressure.

The King was still seated on his throne, and there was barely a burn on him. I hadn't realised the vast well of power that he held inside himself, and I hadn't even seen the full extent of it. How did he get so powerful?

He gave me a sickening smile again, taunting me. "I gave you a home here, I gave you work, I sent you on a mission to learn information about the enemy, and instead of doing as you were told, you betrayed me, you fraternised with them." The King was so very angry. Ice had started crawling from his throne towards where I was held on the other side of the room. Dimitri was trying with all his might to get free now, but nothing worked.

"They placed their claim on you like they own you, and you don't even know who you are, you don't know what you are to them. You stupid, stupid girl." The King was laughing now, manic laughter that made my blood turn to ice.

It was all starting to add up now. The pieces of the jigsaw were falling into place. King Ivashkov and Queen Tatiana both know something about me, but where Tatiana tried to help and support me; the King is only taunting me, holding the information out in front of me, just out of my reach.

"Tell me." I growled.

"Oh, no I don't think I will. This is all much more fun when you don't know."

My flames were an inferno under my skin now, just waiting for the order, waiting to be unleashed.

I used to worry that the flames were the ones who controlled me. I thought they would own me, and hurt the one I loved if I couldn't control them.

But I know now, I know that they are mine to control and manipulate. I am their master, and they will yield to my command.

I dived headfirst into the seemingly endless well of my power. I spearheaded through the surface and delved deep. The flames were beautiful down here; they danced over my skin as I swam through them to the bottom.

I thought I had reached the bottom, but the well just kept going deeper. A trickle of fear entered the back of my mind at the thought of it.

I took a deep breath and summoned the flames.

I had one chance and I would take it.

I erupted.

Every inch of ice in the room melted in a heartbeat.

I was free from my wall of ice and so was Dimitri.

I made a step towards him.

His arms were held in front of him. He wasn't greeting me, or waiting to embrace me. He was using his powers. What was left of them anyway.

The grand doors behind me flew open by some unseen force.

I saw Dimitri's plan unfold an instant before it took place.

I had only long enough to scream.

"No!"

He swung his arms and an unimaginably strong gust of wind forced me through the doors. How he had all that power left, I didn't know. But he had just used the last of it on getting me out. I didn't stand a chance against his powerful gale; there was nothing I could do.

The King's roar of anger was the only sound to be heard before I was shoved out of the doors and they slammed shut behind me, effectively sealing me out of danger from the King, and stopping me from getting to Dimtiri again.

"No!" I screamed again and again as I slammed my fists on the door until they bled, throwing myself against it to open it.

I forced heat into my hands, but the iron was too thick and could not be melted.

"After her! Don't let her get away!" I heard the King shout. Before I heard a thud and a grunt which could only have come from Dimitri, I pictured him hitting the floor and not rising again. No, this couldn't be happening. He can't send me away like this.

My chest caved in on itself. My lungs collapsed. My heart shattered.

I heard a sharp smack and "Go!" again.

I urged my trembling legs to move. My right leg was covered in blood; it dripped down my foot and onto the marble floor.

It killed me to do it, but I made my legs move away from the door. I had to take my chance and go.

Dimitri was right, though it pained me to admit it. It was no use to either of us if we were both captured, or worse.

I would go, I would get out of this castle, and I would make myself stronger and come back with a vengeance. I would burn brighter than the sun.

The next time I left this castle, it would be with Dimitri by my side and the King's blood on my hands.

I did the only thing I could, the one thing I told Dimitri I would do. The conversation we had played over in my head as I forced my feet to move. He made me promise that if I had to, I would run. And that's exactly what I did.

My leg was screaming at me with every step I took. The doors to the throne room behind me were thrown open by the time I made it to the end of the hall.

I threw a glance over my shoulder just in time to see Adrian tumble out. A red hand print was fading from his cheek.

I didn't stop to think about it. I ran.

My head was throbbing and my legs felt like they might give in beneath my body at any second. But I made it through the castle without allowing Adrian to catch up with me.

I didn't need to look behind me to know that Adrian was sending his powers of ice ahead of him to catch me. My flames rippled beneath my skin, reacting to his, taunting it. But I had had enough of dancing with ice, I much preferred playing with fire.

I made it out of the castle; my running with Dimitri had really paid off. I charged through the grounds of the castle and headed for the forest surrounding the gardens, hoping to lose Adrian amongst the trees.

No such luck.

The branches and twigs tore at the skin of my face and arms as I threw myself past tree after tree.

"Rose, stop!" Adrian yelled. We were deep into the woods by now. The only sounds our rasping breaths and the twigs snapping beneath our feet as he chased after me.

"Go back to your castle, little Prince." I yelled over my shoulder.

"I will, just hear me out first. I promise to let you go, little Princess." He yelled back through heaving breaths.

I whirled around at the nickname, catching the Ivashkov heir off guard. Flames danced at my fingertips. I had heard him call me _Little Assassin_ several times. But I wouldn't stand for this.

"You bastard. I am _not_ your Princess, we are not engaged."

He was breathing heavily and ice coated the ground where he stood, but he held his hands up in resignation. He wasn't trying to attack me

"You're not my princess, I know that. I never wanted you to be. But you _are_ a Princess, Rose."

"I wish you'd all stop with these stupid riddles! I am not some fool here for your entertainment! Now are you going to try and take me back to the castle or am I going to have to kill you?" I said, the flames dancing up my wrists now, waiting for the order to harm the Prince beyond repair.

I cast my mind back to all of my encounters with Adrian Ivashkov, and I found that he had never tried to cause me harm, he had never taunted me or insulted me like the others had.

"I'm not taking you back there, and I hope you won't kill me." His green eyes shone with mischief despite the circumstances.

I watched like a hawk as he pulled out a clove cigarette from his pocket. He reached into another pocket for matches to light the end, but before he could, I lit the end with barely even a thought. I hope he saw it for the threat that it was meant to be.

"Thanks." He said with a smirk between puffs.

"You had better start talking, or the end of that cigarette won't be the only thing on fire." I growled.

He had the audacity to roll his eyes at me. "I want to help you." He said finally.

"And why in the name of hell would you do that?"

He released a sigh, and ran a hand through his hair. "Dimitri used to be my friend, and you are a good person, Rose, I know you are. My Father, he used to be a good man... believe me, he did. But something changed him, and I can't let him do this anymore. I'm going to be King one day, and I won't be like him."

I hated myself for it, but a wave of sympathy washed through me at his words. His Father was an awful man. "Adrian, you are not your Father. You will make a good King, but what are you trying to say?" I tried to keep my mind focus, but with every beat of my heart, a black cloud grew at the edge of my vision. My legs felt like they might give from under me at any moment.

"I'm saying that I will do what I can for Dimitri from inside, go and get what you need, come back and give him hell. I'm on your side. We're going to need each other sooner than you think."

I heard unified footsteps sounding in the distance. The King had sent guards after me already. Adrian turned around in their direction before flicking out his clove and facing me once more.

"Quick, get out of here. I'll do what I can, but you need to go now." My head was spinning, my bones were brittle, and so when he gave me a little shove I had no choice but to go where my limbs took me. I didn't even have the strength to thank him or question him further.

I did my best to imprint his words to memory, so I could replay and analyse them when I was feeling better.

I ran as fast as my shaking legs could take me, every time my right foot hit the earth, a blinding pain shot itself up my leg and all the way up my spine.

I made it to the edge of the forest before I had to stop. I rested my weight against a nearby tree and took a few deep breaths. I needed to collect my thoughts, but my mind wasn't working, my thoughts were tumbling around my mind in waves.

God, I was tired.

My limbs felt like they were made of stone, but my head was as light as a cloud.

It took me a moment to realise that the night was completely still, not a drop of rain or a whistle of wind. I was so used to the weather changing with Dimitri's moods, my heart stopped when I realised that there was nothing to read in the elements at all.

The realisation sent me to my knees. I bit down on my lip hard to stop from screaming out at the pain in my leg. I glanced down to see a deep slice across my thigh from the battle. How much blood had I lost?

I tried getting to my feet again; I needed to get away from here so I could help my Dimitri.

But now I was lying on the damp earth. How had I fallen down again?

I blinked rapidly, willing my vision to clear.

It felt like someone was pressing down on my chest. I couldn't move a muscle. I had only a heartbeat to panic before my vision went black and I fell into unconsciousness.

 **Hello friends! There we have chapter 22! This is one of the longest chapters I've written in a while, and I really enjoyed writing it, but I apologise if I got carried away or if anything came across unclear. Please let me know if there is anything I need to clear up for you guys, I kind of worry that I just write everything down how it is in my head and isn't understandable in words. I know what I mean in my head! Anyway, thank you all so much for your support for the last chapter, I really enjoyed reading all of your reviews, and of course I love knowing how many of you guys enjoy the story, so thank you. I'm thinking next chapter will be in Dimitri's point of view, but I'm not entirely sure yet, so we shall see! Anyway, thanks again, you guys are great.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Dimitri's Point Of View.**

I awoke in a damp cell.

I used to walk the halls of these cells, proud to be the one to put the criminals behind the bars. I never thought that I would be the one caged within them.

One of my eyes was swollen shut, but I could see enough to tell that it was night time. A white ray of moonlight cast itself across the damp floor of the cell coming from the barred window on the wall. I found myself in a heap of sore limbs on a patch of damp straw.

How long had I been out? Where was Rose?

 _Rose._

A feeling so terrible and agonising gripped my bones so tight it felt like my muscles had been crushed to nothing but dust.

I tried telling myself that I did the right thing, she has a chance of survival now, anywhere was better than being stuck in a cell down here like me. But God, the state of her, she was injured.

I cast my mind back to the last time I had my eyes on her, but the memories were blurred, like I was watching them through a thick haze. I squeezed my eye shut, willing the images to clear.

Yes, there she was. She was terrifyingly beautiful in her fury; she burned with it as brightly as her flames. But her leg was soaked with blood, so much so that she stood in a puddle of it, and there was a wound on her forehead too, a trail of blood made its way down her temple and yet she didn't even seem to notice.

But she made it out of the castle, she had to. Wouldn't I know if she was gone? Surely something would have changed, the world would have stopped spinning or my heart would have stopped beating if hers had. I wasn't sure I could fathom being in this world without her. I convinced myself that if Rose was no longer breathing on this earth, then something would have changed. There is no way that the world could be the same without her in it.

The last I saw of her was when I used the remaining drops of my power to throw her from the throne room. Shortly after the hilt of a sword was thrown against my head, turning everything deathly silent and black.

I took a deep breath to bring my thoughts back to the present and immediately wished that I hadn't. The smell of urine down here was nauseating. I glanced down at myself, suddenly humiliated at the thought that I may have soiled myself at some point. But no, the smell did not come from me. Though I did spot a bucket in the far corner of the cell for that purpose.

I closed my good eye once more and looked inside myself. Roza had once described the way she saw her power within herself as a well of burning fire, the deeper she went, the more power she could pull up with her. Mine wasn't like that though; my power was more of a vast and endless lake, surrounded by tall trees that danced in a light breeze.

I had never seen the bottom of the lake, and I had never seen how far it went, I suppose it was more of an ocean really, the end was nowhere in sight.

I had planned to summon my strong gusts of wind and an unimaginable bolt of lightning to let my Roza know that I was alive at least, but what I found when I looked across the space within me was not what I was expecting.

The lake, the ocean, whatever it was, was bone dry.

The air escaped from my lungs in a harsh breath through my teeth, and my heart squeezed in a sudden panic. There was nothing there. I had nothing, not even a slight breeze of power, not even the smallest rumble of thunder, not even the lightest drop of rain.

I had never felt such emptiness before.

I threw my eye open and looked down at my hands. They were white where they were not coated in blood or dirt; pale.

I looked around my cell again, but more carefully this time. I ran a hand over the stone walls and flinched at the chill it sent up my arm. Yes, it was cold in here, but that wasn't a cold shock from the temperature.

How could I forget about the stone that these cells were made from? It was Silent Stone.

It suffocated your powers and sucked them dry until there was nothing left but dust. It was a suffocating feeling, the sensation of being completely and utterly powerless.

My powers may not be as seemingly useful in a battle as Roza's burning flames, or the King's freezing ice, but they were mine and I could wield them however I pleased, and now they were gone, there was nothing. How had I not noticed the empty feeling before? My mind was so consumed by Roza that I hadn't even spared a thought for my powers and how they had so suddenly disappeared.

Since I was 13 years old I had always had my gifts to fall back on, they had been my one escape route if I ever needed it, I always had them to fall back on if my muscle and mind did not do the job for me.

But now I was trapped in a cell with no way out.

It only dawned on me in that moment that I would die here. Again, my first thought was not of myself, it was of Roza. Surely she wouldn't be so stupid as to come back for me, when she must know I'm either dead or will be that way soon enough.

God, I'll never get to hold her in my arms again. I'll never inhale the sweet scent of her or run my fingers through her silken hair again. She will never know how deeply in love with her I am. I had known that I loved her for such a long time, and yet I had never said the words to her. I was afraid she wasn't ready to hear them yet, she has had such a difficult life, I didn't want to scare her off. But I know now that I should have dismissed by worries and fears and just let her know that my whole world revolved around her. She deserved to know.

I fell in and out of consciousness several times. Once, I dreamt of holding Roza in my arms while she slept peacefully beside me. I was so convinced that it was real, I could feel her warmth against my skin, her beautiful scent flooded my nose, and I tasted her skin when I pressed a kiss to her temple.

I felt colder than I thought possible when I woke up once more in that cell.

How long had I been drifting between consciousnesses for? The sun was high in the sky now, and part of me wondered how many days I had been out of it for.

I had never liked the fact that the cells were made from Silent Stone.

The King would often station me to guard the cells if ever I displeased him. For example, if I beat Adrian at training too many times, or if the teachers mentioned that I was doing well in classes for my age. Of course, all of that stopped when the Queen died, and I was promoted to head of the Guard where I would remain nothing but professional, my lessons and training stopped then. I was a guard; I no longer needed an education.

I hated the cells even when I was on the outside, when I was free to leave at the end of the day, and I was on the side of the bars that didn't snuff out your powers.

The Silent Stone had no affect on those who stood in the corridor between the two rows of cells, but I still hated being down there. Why? Because I couldn't stand watching men go insane.

It didn't matter to me that the men behind the bars were criminals, and that I was the one that put them there. I was following orders, and I always hoped that their time would end before they reached the point of no return. It never did.

Nowadays, not everyone has powers, so it wasn't all the time that I had to endure the agonising screams of a man going through a pain that only took place inside his head.

Only when the criminals had powers that had been ripped from their souls the minute they stepped over the threshold of the cells would the torture begin. A person being without their gift for an extended period of time will drive them insane eventually, no matter what.

The only variable being how long it takes for the light to leave their eyes and the spirit to leave their souls. Sometimes it takes only a couple of days, sometimes weeks, sometimes months.

How long would it take for me?

I sat up and slowly stretched my stiff limbs. Feeling each individual muscle tense and then relax.

When I cast my eyes around the cell once more, I found a metal tray had been placed on my side of the bars. On it was a substance so disgusting I couldn't even put a name to it. I wouldn't even risk feeding a dog that.

My mouth suddenly became desert-dry at the sight of the metal cup beside the tray. Inside was barely two fingers worth of water, it was warm and stale, but it would have to do.

After savouring the water for as long as I could, I gripped the bars and pulled myself up into a standing position. It felt good to be on my feet again, though every bone in my body seemed to ache.

I peered as far out of the gaps between the bars as I could. "Hello?" My voice was raspy, and barely came out above a whisper. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Hello?"

There was a guard seated on a rickety wooden chair at the end of the hall by the stairs that lead down to these dungeons. He took a long drag of his cigarette and pretended he didn't hear me.

I slammed a fist against the bars and coughed out a curse word in my native tongue.

I looked around as best as I could at the other cells. There were so many shadows, even in the daylight it was difficult to see.

Until a withered face appeared at the bars opposite mine.

He looked like he had been here years, though I knew that was not possible. Nobody survived that long.

His hair was gray, and it fell down his face in matted chunks. He was hunched over, his shirt fell open and I could clearly see his ribs protruding through his chest and stomach.

"Ah, hello, new one." He greeted. His voice was weak, but it reached my ears across the space between us.

"How long have I been here?" I asked, trying not to sound too demanding, too threatening.

The man smiled, only to reveal a mouth with few teeth, those that remained had browned to the colour of dying autumn leaves. "In such a rush. We have all the time in the world to answer questions."

"Please, Sir. How long have I been here?" I pleaded.

The man made a show of counting on his bony fingers. "Oh I don't know, several days."

"Have you heard anything from the guards? Did they say anything when they brought me in?" I questioned, trying to keep my voice low.

The man scowled at me. "You had the first answer for free. Everything comes at a price, boy."

I ground my teeth together. What must a man like him have done to end up down here? He didn't seem threatening, in fact, he seemed half crazed. Was the King just arresting old men because he could now?

"I have nothing to give you." I thought the words were true until I saw his glazed eyes glance down to my tray of slop and back to my face again.

Without a thought I pushed the tray beneath my bars, hard enough that it slid across the space between our cells and straight into his.

I looked away as the man devoured the contents of the tray. I turned my back and tried not to panic. I couldn't even think of my own looming death when Rose's fate was still unknown to me.

I tried blocking out the sounds of the man practically licking the tray clean. He was starving, I couldn't exactly blame him.

"Now that I think of it, the guarding scum did mention something as they dragged you in here. Something about a girl."

I turned around so fast that the things around me began to blur. But I forced my mind to focus. They mentioned Rose.

"Please, what did they say? Is she alright?" I didn't even try to hide the desperation from my voice or my features.

"They only said that the Ice Prince had gone after a girl, and that the King's best Guards went after her too.

I wasn't sure what I would do, what I _could_ do if he had told me they have captured or killed her. Surely if they had, they would be parading her in front of me.

I knew Rose could take on Adrian if she had to, but what about all of those Guards too? I had seen them in action, and though she had taken on a handful of them in the throne room before, she had the element of surprise on her side then, and she was gravely injured now.

But no, if I was going to keep my mind intact then I had to believe that she was still safe out there somewhere.

"Thank you." I told the man as I slid down the wall of my cell and rested my head against my knees.

"I'm sorry that's not what you wanted to hear, boy. Who is she?" He was brave to ask, and he knew it too, I could tell by the hesitation in his voice and the hint of sorrow that I found there.

"She might just be this Kingdom's only hope."

 **Rose's Point of View.**

My mind came back to consciousness but I kept my eyes closed.

My muscles ached to tense up and protect myself, but I kept them still.

My heart thundered, but I kept my breaths deep and even.

Come on, Rose. Find out everything you can about the situation before you give yourself away.

My mind ached, along with every other fibre of my being, but I willed it to sharpen. I lost consciousness in the forest, it was damp and cold.

I was still wearing my clothes, but they felt dry now. My leg was tightly bandaged and my face had been cleaned of blood and dirt. It was warm here, wherever I was, and dry too.

I could hear and smell a crackling fire, and the flames within me danced to its melody.

I could hear, feel or smell nothing else. From what I had found, this had to be a relatively safe place. And if it wasn't, well, there was only one way to find out.

With that thought, I cracked open my eyes.

"Hello, Little Girl."

 **-xXx-**

 **AND BREATH!**

 **Hello everyone! I have returned for another chapter, hope you're not too mad at me for taking so long! I apologise for how long it has taken me to get this chapter out, I have been insanely busy with the new job, weekends are really my only time to write and I have coursework that I'm supposed to be doing then too! I hope that you're all well anyway. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, it's been a while since I've done one in Dimitri's point of view, and I hope it was ok! I tried to depict the cells as best as I could, and I kind of just wrote what came to me in the moment so I hope it's up to standard. Thank you all so much for all of your continued support over the weeks and months and however long it's been, I appreciate it more than you can ever know. I've got a few ideas for the next few chapters, but feel free to let me know any ideas or thoughts! Thanks again so much for everything.**

 **Quick disclaimer: The term 'Silent Stone' comes from the Red Queen books by Victoria Aveyard, which if you haven't read, you definitely should. Seeing as the term was not my own, I thought I had better just add that at the bottom. And of course, as you know, the majority of the characters are from our beloved Vampire Academy.**


	24. Chapter 24

From what I had found, this had to be a relatively safe place. And if it wasn't, well, there was only one way to find out.

With that thought, I cracked open my eyes.

"Hello, Little Girl."

I shot up in my seat at the lightly accented, male voice. My head swam and the world turned on its axis. My hands shot out to balance me, only to land on the soft red fabric of a couch.

I was in what could only be described as a sitting room, a magnificent fire burned away in the hearth on the far wall, and there were what seemed to be hundreds of candles lit all around the room. The feel of them dancing around me soothed the inferno that was raging deep within my chest.

I cast my eyes further around the room, trying not to panic just yet.

I kept my flames close to my fingertips, where they could explode out with the smallest of thoughts if I needed to protect myself. I was relieved to see that they had rejuvenated since the battle.

Many paintings were hung up on the walls, the glow from the flames making them appear as if they were moving.

Seated in an armchair across from me was a man. He appeared to be around the age of 40, and was sipping an amber coloured liquid from a crystal glass, watching me with familiar brown eyes over the rim of the glass. His hair was black and combed into place. When he lowered his glass to the arm of the chair, he revealed a solemn smile with what could only be described as a goatee at his chin.

In my hasty glance around the room, I also caught a look at myself. My thoughts were confirmed and I was still dressed in my clothes from before, they were dry now though they could not be described as clean. They were coated in blood and dirt. I wasn't entirely sure whose blood it was.

My leg was bandaged, as were several places on my arms. I could feel that my face and hair had been cleaned, despite the throbbing that persisted in the back of my skull.

My mind was reeling. Where was I? Who was this man? And most importantly, where was Dimitri?

The thought of his name alone sent a wave of pain through my chest which seemed to spread to every bone in my body until even my toes ached with the need to be close to him.

Despite my inner panic, I adopted Dimitri's emotionless face, and kept my expression smooth and worriless, sending out an air of calm. I sat back in the couch and crossed my legs over, bringing my palms together in my lap, hopefully promoting an air of gracefulness and calmness which I absolutely did not feel in that moment.

"Hello, Old Man. Who might you be?" The man's thick eyebrows shot up in surprise at my nickname for him and apparent lack of panic, though a smirk lifted the corners of his mouth, he could see right through me.

"My name is Ibrahim. But you can call me Abe. How are you feeling?" He asked.

My eyes narrowed at the evasion of my question. "I'm feeling alright." Lies. I felt like I'd been dragged to hell and back. "I didn't ask for your name, I asked who you are."

"Is there a difference?" He answered my question with one of his own, never missing a beat.

"Yes. Your name means nothing to me. I need to know who you are, how you found me and where I am." I demanded. The flames became restless beneath my skin as my agitation grew, I willed the flickering lights around us not to react and give me away.

"Very well. I was in the woods when I heard your screams. You are now in my home, which is located on the outskirts of one of the villages that surrounds the Ivashkov castle." He spat the name Ivashkov out like the word left a foul taste on his tongue.

I glanced down at my leg. "You did this?" He nodded. "Why?" I asked.

"You needed help; I was able to provide it. It wasn't until I got you cleaned up that I recognised you." He said, swirling the liquid around in his glass.

"Recognised me as who?" I questioned.

A humourless laugh escaped from his lips. "Assassin, princess, take your pick."

It was my turn to laugh now. "If you know that I am assassin, then you must know that I was never truly a princess."

"Not in this Kingdom, no." Was his only reply.

What did his words mean? This was not the first time that someone had implied that I am more than who I think I am.

I was itching to ask him what he meant, but now was not the time for riddles.

I gritted my teeth and stood from the couch, willing my face not to betray the pain that flooded my body at the movement.

"Well thank you for caring for me, Old Man, but I really should be going."

He was as lithe as a feline when he stood, raising a palm as if to calm me.

"At least stay and clean up first, I can find something for you to eat while you bathe, and then you are more than welcome to leave." I made my way out of the room while he was talking; I had no intention of staying here any longer than I had to, despite my empty stomach. I had to find Dimitri.

This place was much larger than I thought. The sitting room lead to a long and grand hallway, at the end I could see into a kitchen, the hallway lead to several more rooms, open doors showing me glances of a dining room and a study, all furnished with expensive looking pieces and spotlessly clean. Though there were no signs of life other than the two of us. I spotted a front door and headed that way.

"You have already done so much for me, but I really must be going. There are people waiting for me." That part wasn't a lie at least.

I pulled open the front door when I reached it, thanking whoever was listening that it was unlocked. The sun was beginning to set, the cool air hit my lungs and I gratefully breathed it in while making my way down the front steps. The house was surrounded by tall trees, and a gravel path lead through the thicket.

"Please, Rose. The people can wait; you are not ready to help them yet." His words sparked a curiosity in me, who the hell was this man? He seemed to know too much.

I started walking across the gravel entryway, doing my best to ignore the way the world was spinning with every step I took.

I was nearly at the path lined with trees when I almost walked into a wall of flames.

I knew they weren't mine the second I saw them, though mine reacted to them. These flames were more controlled than mine, where mine jutted and swarmed these simply swayed. The wall was as tall as the trees and as wide as the path I was about to venture down and it made no appearance of weakening. Whoever controlled them was incredibly powerful.

I turned around, back to the house I had just fled from. There, at the top of the steps stood Ibrahim, his hands slightly outstretched before him. There was a determined look on his face though he in no way looked like he was struggling to hold the inferno in its place.

I took a few steps away from the burning wall and back towards the house. The flames diminished as soon as they had appeared.

When I was close enough, he spoke again.

"I'm not going to keep you here against your will. But I think it's in your best interest to stay with me for a while. We have a lot of catching up to do and I can help you more than you think. I know you need to get back to Dimitri, and I will help you do that. But you are not ready to face the King yet. I want to help make sure that you are."

How did he know Dimitri? This man and I shared the same powers. Did this mean that we were related in some way? My mind was whirling. He seemed to have good intentions, and other than blocking my path with an unimaginably powerful wall of flames, he had caused me no harm. I climbed the steps back onto the porch where he was waiting. I would keep my wits about me.

"I'll come back inside for now. But you'd better start talking. I am not defenceless; if you try anything I promise I will make you regret it." I told him, trying to assert some power.

I followed him back to where I had first woken, he poured himself another drink but this time handed me one too.

He took a seat across from me. "Right Old Man, you had better start talking."

 **Hello friends! First and foremost, I will apologies for how long you have all had to wait for this chapter, and also for how short it is compared to some of my others. But it took me a while to write due to how hectic things have been recently, so I thought I would just upload it while I could rather than struggling to write more.**

 **I hope you're all well. I've been working my socks off recently which is why I've had little time to write. Things are going good where I work at the hospital, after my apprenticeship I've been offered a permanent position, and will then hopefully go on to doing my nursing training, and fingers crossed I'll qualify as a nurse one day! It's essentially been the best 7 months of my life, but fanfiction has always been at the back of my mind, and little ideas are always gnawing at my mind. But I know where this story is going, so I don't know how long it will take but I promise you I will finish this.**

 **Thank you all so much for waiting for me to upload, and I can only apologies for the delay and the short length of this chapter, but I hope you can forgive me! Thanks again so much.**


	25. Chapter 25

Abe Mazur sat across from me once more, his legs were crossed and he continued to sip from the crystal glass that was back in his hand. I held my own glass within my grasp, but did not take a sip.

My leg pulsed with pain, and the throbbing pain in the back of my head had now spread to the backs of my eyes. I blinked it away though, I had to concentrate. I had to form a plan.

"So, what do you know about your powers, Little Girl?" He asked.

I suppressed an eye roll at the question. "I know absolutely nothing about them, Old Man."

A smirk lifted at the corner of his mouth. "That is not what I wanted to hear. Tell me, if you will, how did you discover your powers?"

I wasn't sure how honest I should be with this man, he seemed to know a lot about me, as well as the Ivashkovs, he seemed to want to help me get to Dimitri, and that was all I cared about in that moment.

"I spent some time being held in the Ivashkov Kingdom, where I had to work for him as an assassin. I was made to kill the people he needed killed, and he offered me a roof over my head in return. Dimitri was the one sent to capture me." I smiled at the memory, remembering how much I despised my foreign jailor and considering how far we had come since then. "The King seemed to know more about me than I knew about myself, as everyone does. He had Dimitri train me, and he told me that the King suspected I had powers of my own. It was a ridiculous thought, and to cut a long story short, I shoved my hand into a fire and found that it didn't harm me."

Abe raised his eyebrows in surprise at my story, and nodded his head, urging me to continue.

"I think that Dimitri knew, even back then, that the King was not to be trusted. And so he trained me both in combat and with my powers without anyone else knowing, until I mastered them completely. Obviously the King knows about them now, and wants me dead more than ever." I explained with a smirk of my own.

"Where did your powers come from?" He asked next.

I let out a humourless laugh at that. "No idea, I never met my parents. I believe them both to be dead."

Shock and sympathy filled the man's brown eyes. "Do not pity me." I growled. "Now it's your turn to answer the questions. Where did you get your powers from?" I questioned.

The man sighed and put down his empty glass. I watched carefully as he ran a hand through his greying hair. "Mine is not a story that is easy to tell. I've never told the story to another being, but I believe you deserve to know."

"Go on." I urged.

I watched as he closed his eyes for a moment, as if going back in time. "I inherited the power of flames from my father, he was incredibly powerful, and despite how busy he was, he spent time teaching me to control it. You must know how difficult they can be to manipulate. He didn't want me to lose control."

He opened his eyes and gazed out at the rain falling from the skies outside the window. "I grew up with my family in another Kingdom. I met the love of my life there, my child was born there. But it was dark times that we lived in, war was raging and I knew I couldn't keep them safe there." His eyes had glazed over, and now it was my turn to feel sympathy for the stranger before me.

There was no trace of other living beings in this house, so I knew that his story was not one that ended happily. "We left our Kingdom during a ranging battle, I left everything behind to protect them, and still it wasn't enough."

"Wh- what happened?" I prompted, my voice shaking.

He released a breath before continuing. "My child was only young at the time, barely learning to walk. My wife died protecting my daughter. I fled with my daughter to another Kingdom, the Ivashkov Kingdom, but I was being hunted for who I was, so I knew I couldn't keep her with me, it was too dangerous."

I could understand his thinking; I could only imagine how difficult it must have been. It was almost impossible for me to leave Dimitri behind only a few days ago, but imagine abandoning a child.

"I thought that I was keeping her safe, that she would be looked after, but I know now that wasn't the case. I have something I need to confess to you, Rosemarie." Guilt now contorted his features.

"What is it?" My voice coming out as a whisper. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say, but I had to hear him say it. I should have known why his features were so familiar to me, why we both possess the power to manipulate flames.

"Say it." I demanded. "I need to hear you say it."

"You inherited your powers from me, Rosemarie, as I inherited them from my father."

I already knew the words before he spoke them, but they still made my chest feel like it had caved in. The breath escaped from my lungs and I couldn't seem to be able to catch my breath.

"I am so sorry. I had no idea who or where you were until I found you the other night. I thought you were being looked after, I thought you were safe."

"How?" I breathed. "Who are you?"

"I am Abe Mazur, son of Tatiana Mazur, Prince to Queen Tatiana's Kingdom. My father was the King before he was murdered."

Suddenly all of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. All of the riddles people had weaved into my mind.

That was why Queen Tatiana was so kind, why she told me that her people would stand behind me. That was why the people in the paintings in her castle looked so familiar to me. It must have been why everyone was so secretive about the history of her Kingdom. _You don't even know who you are._

The words kept playing over and over in my head.

 _You are more important than you think._

 _You don't know what a prize you are._

I am a Princess.

And not even a fake one like I was before.

I have royal blood flowing through my veins.

The man sitting before me is my father.

-xXx-

Abe and I talked until the sun rose in the sky, and the rain and the clouds parted to reveal a pink sky.

He told me all about his life before he fled. He told me about my fierce mother, Janine. She was completely normal and yet magnificent, she was the daughter of a blacksmith, she had no powers flowing through her veins but she was strong willed. She had fiery red hair and loved fiercely.

They met by accident, and fell in love swiftly. It was not the ideal matching for a Prince, but Abe's parents, my Grandparents- Tatiana and her late husband- allowed him to love who he wanted. They were happy, and he explained that they were even happier when I was born. But then King Ivashkov grew jealous of the Mazur's prosperity and attacked them. Many died, including King Mazur. That was when he fled. Janine was killed during the escape; he changed my name and hid me away where he thought I would be safe. Everyone within the Mazur Kingdom believed the both of us to be dead.

Once our stories had been shared, silence fell between the two of us.

Now it was down to business.

"This is a lot to take in, for the both of us I think. But I have more pressing things to worry about. I need to get into the Ivashkov castle; I need to get to Dimitri." I explained, my chest filling with a strength that I thought had already been extinguished.

"It's going to take some time, but I think I know what can help you do just that. You do not only possess the power over flames, Rose, you have another power too. We just need to figure out how to wake it up."

 **Dimitri's Point of View.**

I had taken to pacing the length of my cell.

How much time had passed? Days? Weeks? Months?

The pressure of the silent stone made my brain feel like it was being pressed on by a boot. My ears were ringing and what little light reached the cell made my eyes burn.

I had taken to pacing to try and keep myself sane. As sane as one could remain in this place plucked straight from the depths of hell.

I had found that if I stood still for too long, the shadows would start whispering at me.

I had received two more _meals_ since I gave the last to the man across from me. The first meal that came, I sent straight across to the man. I tried to eat the second meal that came, but vomited as soon as the substance began making its way down my throat.

It didn't take me long to realise that I would die in this cell. My only regret was that I didn't truly know if Roza was ok, and that I hadn't had more time to worship her.

When I managed to fall asleep, I found no peace within my dreams. My mind had started playing tricks on me.

Once I awoke to Roza kneeling beside me in my cell, her warm hand cupping my stubbled cheek with a beautiful smile on her face. "We need to get out of here, Dimitri." She had whispered after pressing a chaste kiss to my lips.

I tried to nod, I tried to stand. I wanted to hold onto her and kiss her. But I couldn't move a single muscle in my body.

My body had turned to stone. I had blended in with the walls of the cells; it seemed as if soon they would swallow me completely.

 _Roza!_

I tried calling to her, but my mouth would not move.

Soon she grew tired of trying to free me, and met Adrian Ivashkov at the entrance to my cell. They walked off hand in hand, and she didn't even look back.

I awoke shouting her name.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Adrian Ivashkov standing behind the bars of my cell, though Roza was nowhere in sight.

"Hello, Belikov." I glanced up at him from where I sat in the far corner of the cell. I did not greet him in return.

I watched as the Ivashkov Prince formed a key made of ice and opened the lock which kept me in here.

He stepped over the threshold and released a sigh of relief once he was inside. He remained at the doorway, and left the door open, as if to taunt me further.

I noticed how his shoulder sagged and the corners of his features smoothed in relief when he walked into the cell made of silent stone. Curious.

"What's that all about?" I questioned, not having the strength to elaborate or address him as I should. He didn't deserve my manners.

The man stood up straighter as if noticing my presence again. A crazed sort of smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "It soothes me, being away from my powers. Sometimes it gets too loud, in my mind."

The man was clearly unhinged. "Are you here to finally kill me, Adrian?" There was a hint of hope in my voice that I wished wasn't there. I didn't want to leave this world, not really, but I knew that the end was in sight.

"No. You're more useful to me alive at the moment." He glanced around the cell, disgust filling his icy features. "At least try and survive a little while longer."

King Ivashkov always spoke in riddles, and it seems that his son was the same in that manner. I had no time to question the man, or even consider forming an escape plan before he was back out of the cell, with the door firmly locked behind him.

Survive. All I had to do was survive.

 **There we have Chapter 25! Dun dun dunnnnnnnn... the truth has finally been revealed about Rose and Abe and Tatiana! I can imagine that most of you probably saw it coming at this point, but I hope it was ok and that it all came across clearly enough? I imagine how I'm going to write in my mind and it often doesn't end up that way when I actually type it out. Anyway, sorry it's been a while since I've uploaded again, but I am back again for another chapter! How have you all been? Anything new happening? I'm off to Iceland on Thursday with a couple of friends, has anyone ever been? Anyway, I just wanted to thank you all again so much for all of your continued support, for reading, favouriting, following and reviewing this story, It means more to me than you can possibly know. Thanks again so much, please let me know what you think!**


	26. Chapter 26

By the time Abe and I had finished sharing stories, and by the time he had finished advising me on what I needed to do to get into the castle undetected, the moon was high in the sky and I could barely keep my eyes open.

"You need to rest. There's a bedroom set up upstairs that you can use." Abe told me.

"I don't have time to rest. I need you to teach me everything you know so that I can get Dimitri out of there. I can feel him slipping away from me with every second I waste." I hated that I had to speak to my newly found Father this way, but I had more important things to deal with. Dimitri's life depended on me; I could set aside my own problems for now.

"Don't be so dramatic." He had the audacity to say with an eye roll. "I'm not telling you a single thing until you've had a good night's sleep and there's some food in your stomach."

I knew there was no way I could get anything out of him unless I did as he said, I was staying in his house after all. I needed to cooperate.

I reluctantly got to my feet, trying not to make the effort that it took visible to the man in front of me. "Fine. But we're starting tomorrow or I'll find a way to get to him without your help."

Abe got to his feet as well. We stood there awkwardly for a moment before he put his hand upon my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I am so glad I found you, Rose. I'm just sorry it took this long." The contact felt odd, as did hearing those words come from his mouth, but I made myself meet his eyes and give him what I hoped was a sincere smile before stepping towards the door.

"Up the stairs and it's the second door on the left, there is a bathing chamber in there too. Make yourself at home." He told me before taking a seat again and rubbing at his temple.

"Thank you." I muttered while making my way out of the room.

The halls were dimly lit with oil lamps on the walls. There were no paintings to admire and very little decorations to be seen as I navigated my way to the stairs and then up them.

I climbed the stairs which led to an open landing. I felt the need to explore the house further, but my shaking limbs told me I needed to rest more than anything, and my exhaustion overruled my curiosity.

I headed to the door Abe had directed me to and opened it to reveal a well furnished room which lacked a personal touch, much like the rest of this grand house.

In the centre of the far wall was a four-posted double bed made of dark wood which looked like it had fallen straight from heaven. There was an armoire to its left and a dressing table beside that, all crafted form the same solid wood. To the right of the bed was a door which I could only assume led to the bathing chamber. I chose to ignore it and instead locked the bedroom door before stripping off to my undergarments and practically throwing myself in the bed.

I was swept away into a deep sleep before my head even hit the pillow.

I slept undisturbed by dreams for some time before the darkness around me shifted and I found myself standing in the heart of a dense forest.

The trees rose around me until they were hundreds of feet high. I was barefoot; I could feel the fallen pine needles beneath my toes. The air was cool and crisp and smelled like damp leaves.

I had absolutely no idea where I was. I willed my flames to flicker at my fingertips for precaution, but I was startled to find that the well of power within me was bone dry. In fact, upon closer inspection, I found that there was no well at all. My breath escaped me and I couldn't help but begin to panic.

"Sorry about that," A familiar yet irritating voice drawled from behind a tree. "I just didn't want you to burn my forest down." Adrian Ivashkov said as he stepped out from behind his hiding place. He was dressed to impress, though I had no idea why. He wore a deep emerald suit, the same colour I imagine the leaves on these trees would turn as the sun began to set.

"Nice dress." He commented, running his eyes up and down my form.

I glanced down at myself and gasped at the sight. I was wearing a beautiful silver dress, the light shifted every time I moved making it appear as if I was sparkling. It clung to my body in a way that made me want to cover myself with my arms, but I resisted.

"What the hell is this?" I knew I was dreaming, but everything felt so real.

"What, don't you like the colour?" The Prince questioned with his usual smirk. "I think it suits you."

I clenched my fists and took a threatening step towards the man, causing him to raise his hands in front of him in defence. He was smart to be wary of me, though I didn't have my flames, that didn't mean I couldn't inflict damage on anyone that bothered me.

It was in that moment that I realised all of my ailments from before had vanished, I felt no ache in the back of my head, no sharp pain when I took a step with my leg.

"Cut the crap, Princeling. Where are we? And don't even think about saying a forest."

He released a heaving laugh at my demand, but had the sense to answer me. "Alright, alright. Seeing as you asked so kindly, we are in a dream."

I was right then. This was still a dream.

I was about to demand more answers from the strange Prince, when he interrupted me.

"Despite your wonderful conversational skills, I didn't bring you here just to chat, Princess." He really did talk out of his ass.

I crossed my arms, waiting for him to elaborate. "Don't you want to know who I brought along to see you?"

He gestured to his right, swinging his arms like it was some dramatic revelation, and actually, I suppose it was. For it was Dimitri that stepped from behind a tree this time.

He looked just as confused as I'm sure I had when I first found myself in this strange place. But then his eyes met mine and he faltered a step, as if his legs might not carry him much farther.

"Ro...Roza?" His voice was barely a rasp of breath from his throat, but I would have heard him from miles away.

It only took a few steps before I had thrown myself into his awaiting arms. He felt so very real, he was exactly how I remembered him. He was solid and yet soft, warm and strong. I was dimly aware of the fact that he too was dressed smart, and his face was free from imperfections such as the bruises and cuts that covered his beautiful features last time I had seen him. I supposed that was Adrian's doing.

I breathed in his oh so familiar scent and knew that I was home. Perhaps home is nothing but two arms holding you tight when you're at your worst.

Dimitri pulled away only enough to cradle my face in his hands. "This can't be real." He breathed against the skin of my cheek.

"I don't know how, but I'm here Dimitri, I'm with you." A tear rolled down his cheek and I brushed it away with my lips, the taste of salt only making my own tears fall faster.

"Are you alright?" I asked. "Not here, but wherever you really are."

His brows furrowed in confused. "I... I'm alive. What do you mean, where I really am?" He questioned.

I explained that this was only a dream, and even his most practiced emotionless mask couldn't hide the way his face crumpled in despair for just a second. I ran my fingers through his feather-soft hair.

"I will find you, Dimitri. No matter what it takes, I will save you." I promised him.

"No! No Roza, you mustn't come here, that's exactly what they want, they're waiting for you."

I could not promise him that I wouldn't go to help him, and so instead I pulled him to me and held him again. "Just hang in there; I'll always be with you." I soothed.

We only stood that was for a few seconds before something changed. It was like he started to feel hollow. Dimitri stepped back in alarm, as if he felt it too. It was like he had blurred around the edges. "What's happening?"

Adrian spoke for the first time in what seemed like hours then. "He's being woken up; I can't keep him here for much longer." The Prince was leaning against one of the many trees, I wondered if keeping both Dimitri and I in this dreamscape was taking its toll on him.

Though Dimitri looked perfectly healthy, I could still see the haunted look in his beautiful bottomless eyes. "I'm with you, Dimitri. This is not goodbye."

He pressed a kiss to my lips which didn't last nearly long enough. And when I opened my eyes again Dimitri had faded to almost nothing, instead of holding him, I held nothing but air and I could see right through him.

"Roza, I lo..."

And he was gone.

I wouldn't let myself think of what he almost told me. He could tell me again when we were reunited, and I would tell him I felt the same way.

I brushed away my tears and faced Adrian. He was breathing heavily, and bags had formed under his eyes.

"I can see that this has taken its toll on you, Adrian, so I thank you."

"Dimitri and I were once friends. He's losing himself, Rose. He needed to see you."

I squared my shoulders, feeling the weight of what I needed to do land upon them.

"We'll meet again, Prince Ivashkov, and when we do, you need to decide whose side you are on."

The Prince gave me a thoughtful smile, before sending me back to my own dreams undisturbed.

I awoke what must have been hours later, as the sun was now making its way up the sky.

The hours of sleep I had gained had worked their magic on me, for though I still felt aches and pains throughout my body, my mind now felt clearer than it had in days.

I hauled myself out of the comfortable bed and searched through the armoire that was against the wall. There was a mixture of men's and women's clothes inside, and so after swiftly bathing I opted for a pair of women's fitted trousers and tucked a man's white shirt into the waistband. I couldn't face putting my old clothes on, the grime that coated them only served as a reminder of what happened in that castle. I ran my fingers through my now damp hair and braided it back.

When I wandered downstairs, I found Abe in the kitchen serving breakfast. The scent of the cooked meat and bread sent pangs of hunger thrumming through my stomach until it growled in protest. When had I last eaten?

The thought made me feel even guiltier than before. Dimitri probably hadn't eaten anything either. What if they were starving him?

Abe and I barely spoke throughout breakfast other than the greeting we shared when I entered the room. I couldn't take my mind off the dream the three of us had shared the night before. I kept replaying every word and aspect in my mind. Had Dimitri really always looked that way? If Adrian presented us both to be healthy, then I really had no idea how bad Dimitri's condition was. Anything could be wrong with him and I would have no idea.

Once I had eaten until I could fill my stomach no more, Abe lead me out towards the back of the house, revealing a sizeable clearing in the trees which we would apparently be using as a training area.

"Alright." He began. "I know how you can get into the castle unnoticed. It will take time and you are going to have to open your mind and trust me. Can you do that?" He questioned.

I knew I could have put on a mask of false-bravado, but now was neither the time nor the place. And so I nodded. "I promise."

"Good." He looked relieved that I would cooperate so easily. "You and I share two of the same powers. The flames which you have mostly mastered. And another one inherited from Tatiana, my mother- your grandmother." He explained.

I nodded, urging him to continue. "Our control over this one is not as strong as our ability to control flames, but it will be enough to get you into the castle once you can master it."

"I trust you've got a plan, Old Man." I pressed.

"Oh yes. I'm going to teach you everything I know, and then you are going to shape shift into someone or some _thing_ else entirely, and walk straight into and out of that castle unnoticed."

His words sparked a new sense of both hope and fear within me. I had no idea I possessed this level of power within me, and quite frankly I had no idea how I was going to trigger it to life.

"Well then, we'd better get started."

 **There we have Chapter 26! I'm going to be honest, I had absolutely no idea when I started this story that I was going to give Rose the powers to shape shift, but I have recently read Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Mass and the shape shifters in there really inspired me, I think it's such an interesting ability! It's obviously difficult to add Romitri moments into this part of the story while Dimitri is being held captive, and so I hope that this little snippet will keep you all going! Thank you all so much for sticking with me while I update so irregularly, I appreciate it so much and love reading what you think, so please keep the reviews coming! Thanks again so much, I am so glad that I have found this website as I've discovered something that I actually enjoy and that I'm not completely terrible at! I would no way have the confidence to write these stories if it weren't for your guys' amazing comments, so honestly thank you from the bottom of my heart.**


	27. Chapter 27

**9 days until Christmas! Can you tell that I'm excited?**

-xXx-

"Well then, we'd better get started." I said to Abe with a new sense of determination.

"Very well." He replied with a smirk.

Then his whole body was enveloped in a bright golden light and in the blink of an eye it was not my Father standing before me, but a wolf. My breath hissed through my teeth and instinct had me taking a step back. Though the wolf only lowered his head in submission.

Another flash of golden light and suddenly the wolf was gone, and in its place sat a rabbit. His nose twitching as if scenting the air around us. This time, a smile of wonder found its way onto my lips.

I watched more closely as the third flash of golden light encased the rabbit, and I noticed that the light formed at his chest and then spread over his whole body. Interesting.

Abe stood before me again, not a hair out of place. Though he was breathing heavily, and a light layer of sweat had formed on his forehead, the only indication of the toll that using his power had taken on him.

I should have known our second power would be shape shifting, I had seen Queen Tatiana do it before I connected the dots.

"I am not expecting you to change yourself into an animal or a different person in order to get to Dimitri, but I will show you how to change small parts of yourself, allow me to demonstrate."

I took a step closer and watched carefully as Abe blinked and where his eyes were the same colour brown as mine before, they were a deep blue now, like the swirling depths of the ocean. I watched as his hair grew longer and shifted to a lighter colour, and marvelled at the sight of him growing a few inches taller. I could barely tell as his jaw line squared off and his nose rounded at the tip.

They were such minute changes, and yet it was a completely different man standing in front of me.

"Changing smaller things uses less power than changing your whole being. But you see how just a few small adjustments can make you appear as if you are a completely different person."

Another flash of golden light and it was Abe standing before me once again.

"Your turn." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. I tried to avoid noticing the slight tremor that ran through his hands.

"How?" I demanded, spreading my feet apart and squaring my shoulders.

"Your power over shape shifting is not nearly as strong as that over your flames, so it will be more difficult. But you need to will your features to change. Close your eyes and picture them shifting and changing. Start with something simple, like the colour of your hair."

I nodded as I absorbed his words and closed my eyes. I had tied my hair back into a braid this morning, and I could feel it where it rested over my shoulder and down my chest. It stopped just before my belly button.

I pictured my brown hair in my mind, and tried to imagine what it would look like if it were blonde. I'm not sure that I would suit blonde hair; I think it would probably clash with my darker skin.

As I pictured my hair I couldn't help but think of the way Dimitri would run his fingers through my hair as if it was the softest of silk. I was doing this for him, though. I would get him out of there if it was the last thing I ever did.

Shit, concentrate Rose.

I clenched my hands into fists. I pictured my hair shifting in colour, it started right from the roots and slowly it changed until it reached the tips of each strand of hair.

I released a breath and looked down at my braid. "What the hell?" Sure, my hair had changed colour, but only ever so slightly. It was a bit of a lighter brown.

"Very good." Abe said from where he stood watching me. "I watched as it shifted, it was slow, but the changes will happen quicker the more you practice."

I gritted my teeth, feeling my temper rise. "That was not the colour I had in mind."

The flames under my skin seemed to react to my anger; they danced and swirled through my veins until smoke started to come off my skin, as if it leaked from my very pores.

Abe noticed the changes in me and frowned in disdain. "Calm yourself. The fact that you could get it to change at all is brilliant."

His words soothed my temper ever so slightly, and the flames calmed under my skin. "The more you focus on shifting; you might notice a lack of control over the flames."

Without my realising, my hair had gone back to its natural deep brown colour. "It's ok. Try it again."

I closed my eyes once more and focused on every strand of hair, this time, I didn't will it to change, I _told_ it to. This was my body, and I was in control of it. This time I felt the shift, and when I opened my eyes and looked down, my hair was a beautiful light blonde.

I looked up to see Abe beaming at me, pride shining in his eyes. "Now keep it that way, don't let go of that thread that keeps it as it is." I pictured a thread of gold in my mind and clenched a fist around it, holding it tight.

"Now do the same, but with your eyes." And so I did.

We spent the rest of the day changing little parts of myself, until I looked into the mirror after the sun had set and a different girl stood before me. She was taller than me and thinner too. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was beautiful in her own way.

I was holding almost a dozen golden threads in my mind, and it was shocking how constantly aware I was of the drain it put on my powers. I found myself breathing heavily as if I had just climbed twenty flights of stairs, and it felt as if my bones themselves ached.

"That's enough for today." Abe said, and I didn't bother waiting for confirmation as I let go of each and every one of those threads in my mind. Then gold encased me for a fraction of a second and I knew I was me again. I let out a breath I didn't realise I had been holding.

"Now go and get some rest. If you keep making the same progress, then you'll have Dimitri out of there by the end of the week."

I did as he said; finding my legs shaking with every step I took up the steps leading to the bedroom I was staying in.

-xXx-

The rest of the week went much the same way. Abe and I would wake up at the crack of dawn, eat a hearty breakfast, over which we would discuss our plans for getting me in and out of the castle with Dimitri undetected. It would be risky, but I was willing to do whatever it took to get him out of there. Then we would spend the days fine-tuning my abilities, though we didn't just focus on shifting. Sometimes we would bring our flames into it, and then other times we would spar using swords and daggers as well as our powers.

I felt a sense of power that I had never experienced before. I only wish that I could share everything I had learned with Dimitri.

Abe and I had finished training for the day, and now sat back in the sitting room after supper.

"Tomorrow after dark is when we will make our move. You know the plan; you know where you are going and what you need to do. I have people inside the castle who have assured me that the guards on duty will be unconscious when you go in."

I nodded my understanding. "Thank you."

He ignored me. "I will be gone for most of the day tomorrow; I need to collect a few things ready for when we leave. Take the day and prepare yourself however you wish."

"I will, and really, thank you for helping me, Old Man." I told him as I stood up and stretched my aching muscles.

I had made it to the door when Abe finally spoke. "Little Girl, there's something I need you to understand."

"Go on." I urged, feeling a level of panic rise within me.

"Just so you know, once we get Captain Belikov out, it won't be over. It will be the beginning of a war. We have allies, but it won't be easy, people will die." He looked truly pained, as if he hated the thought that I was going to war, even if he was here with me.

"I know. I'm not going to stop until King Ivashkov is dead." I held his gaze for a moment before turning away, and watched as a grin spread across his face, as if he was proud that I was just as thirsty for blood as he was after everything that man had done to our family.

-xXx-

Abe was true to his word, and he was nowhere to be found when I awoke the next morning. I was lucky to have slept at all.

I only managed to fall asleep each night when I told myself that I might be pulled into one of Adrian's dreams again and get to see Dimitri, but I woke up each day and my chest was a little colder and emptier than it was before.

But I washed and dressed myself with a purpose knowing that I would see Dimitri today. I didn't let myself think about what would happen if I didn't find him, or worse.

I didn't have much of an appetite when I awoke, and so I found myself exploring the estate a bit more. Though it was huge and impressive from the outside, the more I explored of the inside, the larger it seemed to get.

Though I was aware that Abe had lived here for years, the house just didn't have a personal touch. Sure, it was well decorated, but it just lacked that homely touch. There were no personal possessions at all.

At least that's what I thought before I came across a door at the end of one of the many hallways. I wasn't sure what drew me to this particular door, but I found myself opening it.

Part of me felt bad for snooping through Abe's house, but he had told me to prepare myself for tonight in any way that I wished.

My eyes widened as I stepped over the threshold of the room and drank in what was inside. There was enough weaponry here to arm an entire army. There were too many swords to count, some hanging up in holsters, others simply leaning against the walls. And it didn't end there, there were throwing knives, daggers, axe's any kind of weaponry you could imagine, all of them shiny and clean and ready to draw blood at a moment's notice. Some were simple and basic pieces, others looked finely made with jewels set into the pommels.

My fingers ached to take at least one and arm myself, but snooping was one thing, stealing was something entirely different.

I went through the large room admiring the different blades, and then something hanging up deep on the far wall caught my attention. It was a painting. A painting with people in it.

Sure, there were various paintings hanging up throughout the house that I had admired, but they had always been of some scenery or another, never with people in them.

My breath caught in my throat as I beheld who was in the painting.

I noticed Abe first, he looked a lot younger, his goatee was gone and his hair was shorter, there was a genuine smile on his face as he beheld the woman by his side and the baby in his arms. The woman beside him was beautiful, she was petite and redheaded, she had a fierceness about her despite the warm smile on her face. Then I beheld the couple who stood behind them, both of them looking so very proud as they displayed their family to the world. There was Queen Tatiana, looking as regal as ever, and the King by her side. He was my Grandfather and I didn't even know his name.

Then I finally let my eyes turn to the baby that they were all stood around. The painting depicted her bright brown eyes and I could even see a little mop of brown hair atop her head. If I had any doubts about my heritage before, they had all been swept away now.

Tears were streaming down my face before I even realised it. There were 5 people in that painting and only 3 of them were still alive. All because of King Ivashkov. I wouldn't let another person be added to the list of people that were killed by his hand.

Footsteps sounded behind me and I only had a second to hastily wipe away my tears before Abe stepped into the room.

His eyes went to where I was standing before the painting and he let out a sigh. "I wondered when you would find this place."

I couldn't find the strength to think up a witty response, so I said nothing.

"I came in here to get something for you, actually." I watched as he picked up the finest sword and dagger and held them out to me. "Both were my Father's. He gave them to me before I fled with you and your Mother. I think you should have them."

My hand covered my heart as the weight of the gesture landed on me. "I...I can't accept these."

"You have as much right to them as I do. You won't be able to take the sword with you tonight, but you could hide the blade under your clothes. You'll need a sword for the war that is to come, and it's only right that you have his."

I didn't have the words to express my gratitude to him. I had only known he was my Father for a week, but already he had done so much for me. I tried not to think too much about it as I approached him and threw my arms around him.

I felt Abe tense up for a second before he tentatively put his arms around me.

I only let it last a couple of seconds before I pulled away again, and took the weapons that he still held outstretched to me. "Thank you." I said, and I truly meant it.

I tried not to notice the blush that had risen up his cheeks. This whole thing was just as new to him as it was to me. "Don't mention it. Your things are in your room, go and get changed and then we'll head out. Are you ready?" He asked. And I knew that if I backed out of this he would go himself, but this was something I had to do.

"I'm ready."

 **There we have Chapter 27! So sorry for how long it took me to get this Chapter out, and I really hope it's not too blocky and that it's ok. I just really wanted to get it out so the action can start happening! I really wanted to make sure that I got Abe and Rose's relationship right, so I hope that I did!**

 **Oh, and in case you didn't know, CHRISTMAS IS COMING! What do you guys do to celebrate Christmas? (If you do). I'll just be at home with my family, but 'Santa' is bringing me a few new books which I'm excited to read. Do you have any traditions that you always follow?**

 **Anyway, thank you so much for all of your support and to everyone who has read, favourited, followed and especially reviewed this story. I really hope this chapter is ok, but we'll be getting to the juicy bits next chapter! I won't give too much away though! Anyway, thanks again so much, please let me know what you think. I probably won't update again before Christmas, so however you celebrate, if you do at all, I hope that you have a safe and happy time. Thank you so much.**


	28. Chapter 28

I went straight to the bedroom I had been staying in after my moment with Abe, and saw the clothes that Abe had laid out for me. I almost forgot that I would be pretending to be a servant in the castle, but with that realisation I slipped the clothes on anyway. I wore dull grey pants with a similarly coloured tunic, with a white apron tied around my waist. The outfit was by no means practical for fighting, it hung off my body, but if everything went well, I wouldn't need to. I hid several blades beneath my clothes anyway. You could never be too prepared.

Once I was as prepared as I could be, I made my way downstairs and out of the front door to find Abe waiting with two horses. He ran an assessing eye over my attire and nodded his approval. "Good, now shift."

We had been working towards this moment for over a week now, and it was almost no effort at all to gather the golden threads in my mind and pull them gently. I took in a deep breath. I felt my waist get thinner, my hips and shoulders narrower, I made myself a couple of inches shorter, and dulled my hair into a muddy brown colour. I pinched my lips into a thinner line, and willed my irises to turn a cloudy grey colour. I was a completely different person by the time I released the breath. The clothes I wore were even baggier now.

I had chosen each and every one of these features for one reason: to blend in.

I would have my chance to storm through the castle like a living flame, but for now I needed to float in and out unnoticed, like nothing more than a fleck of dust on a light breeze.

Abe once again only nodded his approval, before mounting one of the horses. There would be no smirks or witty comments today I realised, it was down to business.

The horses he had chosen were tall and athletic beasts, though he had left the stockier of the two to me. I climbed atop the saddle and patted the shoulder of my steed.

Once we were down the gravel driveway and into the thicket of the woods, Abe went over our plan one final time.

"We will ride through the woods to the castle, and enter through the back, rather than going through the city and drawing attention to ourselves by walking in one of the main entrances. We will hide your horse where you enter for a fast getaway, and I will wait deeper into the woods to avoid detection, while also drawing the guards in the towers eyes to me, rather than you. I have it on good authority that the guards in the cells will be unconscious after having something slipped into their drinks. All you have to do is get the key to Belikov's cell, and get him and yourself out of there."

The more reckless part of me had been itching for some action for months now, I used to creep down alley ways and worm my way through crowded streets like I was nothing more than a shadow. I used to live for the thrill of hunting someone I had been paid to kill. But that was in another life, I was a different person now. And though the same instincts still called out to me, my life wasn't just my own now. This wasn't just about killing people to keep myself fed, that part of my life was over, I would be going to war after this.

Abe and I hadn't mentioned the possibility that Dimitri might have been moved from the cells, or worse. But I wouldn't let myself consider that. I knew, deep down, that I wouldn't be leaving that castle unless Dimitri was with me. I would search every room of that hell-forsaken castle for him, even if it meant getting captured myself.

After covering the final few details of the plan, we trotted the horses through the forest in silence. Until something dawned on me. "Why didn't we bring a horse for Dimitri?" I thought I probably knew the answer, but I needed to hear it from Abe.

He gave me a sidelong glance before answering. "Those cells are harsh places, Rose. They leave prisoners broken both mentally and physically. Dimitri will ride back with you, because we have no idea what condition he will be in."

I don't think I'd be able to get any words out of my mouth if I tried, so I only nodded and looked straight ahead. I squeezed the heels of my feet into the horse's side, urging him into a canter. The sooner we got there, the better.

We continued on and on through the woods, the only sounds being our breathing, the horses hooves pounding the earth, and the occasional snippet of a song from a bird.

Eventually, the looming stone castle rose up before us. I tightened my grip on the leather reins as Abe and I pulled the horses up to a halt by a part of the wall surrounding the castle that was disused and crumbling away.

I dismounted my horse. "Leave your horse tied up around the thicker parts of the trees over there." I followed his instructions and led my steed over to an area where the trees and bushes were so close together than if someone happened to walk past, they wouldn't see it unless they were looking for it. And we knew that no one had set foot in these parts of the forest in years. I tied the reins to a sturdy branch and stroked the soft nose of the horse. "I need you to stay hidden here, ok? And then when I'm back, we're going to run like hell." He huffed a breath against my chest.

I jogged back to Abe at the wall. "I'll keep moving around, but I won't go far. Once you get Dimitri, don't wait for me, I'll find you on your way back." I nodded and plastered what I hoped was a convincing smile across my face before climbing over the crumbling wall.

Surrounding the main parts of the castle, the wall must have been over 12 foot high and impossible to climb or scale with no footholds, but there was one part of it here that came only up to my waist. Arrogant King Ivashkov must have thought that his wrath was so terrifying that no one would dare break in or out of his castle. But oh how he was wrong.

Abe and I had been studying maps of the castle for over a week now, so I knew exactly where I was going. It was no wonder I had never come across the cells during my time at the castle, they were situated a long way away from the main castle grounds. Fortunately for me, it meant that they were close to where I had crept onto the grounds.

The cells had been erected within the thickest parts of the woodland, I wondered if most of the courtiers within that damned castle even knew it was there.

I gripped one of the blades in my hand as I crept my way through the trees, taking cover every now and then to make sure no one was around.

There was a clearing through the trees up ahead, and there sat the cells. It was a derelict building, single storied. There were barred windows spaced evenly along the walls, and I could see from here that part of the roof had caved in at some point and no one had bothered to repair it.

There were no guards stationed outside the main entrance, the thought worried me. Did Abe have something to do with this, or were the cells within so secure that the King didn't even need to bother wasting men on guarding the main entrance?

I wouldn't be able to creep towards the building now; it would raise suspicions if anyone saw a servant girl creeping around. And so I slumped my shoulders, dipped my chin and looked only at my feet as I made my way towards the building.

I felt so incredibly naked. There were watch towers placed around the grounds; at least one of them would look out across the cells. I just hoped that Abe's part of the plan to distract them worked without him getting killed in the process.

I stepped into the main part of the building where the guards spent their time while on duty here. There were two desks and several guards slumped around them. All breathing, but unconscious. I breathed a sigh of relief that at least this part of the plan had gone well.

The building was freezing cold; did the King keep it cold here all year round just to add to the prisoner's torture? And the smell, it was atrocious, and only got worse the deeper I went.

A chill had found its way into my bones that even the flickering flame within my chest couldn't chase away. I searched high and low for the keys; I looked through every drawer in each desk to no avail. Time to search the guards.

There were six of them in total, all deeply unconscious. They wore the King's guards uniform and I itched to simply slit their throats and be done with it. But it would leave too much evidence; I had to slip in and out without a trace. Part of me knew that the King would kill them for their mistakes anyway. These guards used to follow Dimitri's orders, he was their captain once. And now they kept him locked up in this place as if he was just another criminal.

It was on the fourth guard that I found the keys. They were attached to one of his belt loops. I sliced the loop with one of the knives I carried and then the rusted keys were in my hand.

Deep breath. Now to find Dimitri.

I wasn't sure how many cells there were, but there was a seemingly endless corridor, both sides were lined with metal bars.

I tried not to take notice of the sounds that were coming from the cells. Some were cries of pure pain and heartbreak, some were screams and pleas. I passed cell after cell, only peaking in for long enough to work out whether it was Dimitri inside.

When I turned to look at the cells, none of the souls inside looked up as I passed, as if they were used to people ogling at them and no longer cared. More than a few of the prisoners were speaking. Some muttering the odd word, some having full conversations, others yelling at the empty space between the four walls that held them.

I hated that I couldn't set them all free. I realised that perhaps some of them would be criminals, but Dimitri was innocent, who was to say that the rest of them weren't as well? I promised myself I would come back for them though; I would not leave them here to rot.

I passed more and more cells. I stopped at one and couldn't believe what I saw. A woman was slumped in the corner. She was dead. Her skin was grey and her whole body appeared to be hollow. The rats surrounding her didn't even flee as I stood there and choked back the shock. How long had she been there, rotting away?

I kept moving.

Focus. Keep moving.

Step.

Step.

Look left.

Not Dimitri.

Look right.

Not Dimitri.

Step.

Step.

Look left.

Not Dimitri.

Wait.

 _Dimitri?_

I almost passed him; he barely looked like the Dimitri I knew.

His hair was thick with clumps of blood and sweat and God knows what else.

His clothes hung off his body, being cooped up in this cell meant that his lean body had now wasted away.

Half of his face was swollen beyond recognition. He was slumped in the corner of the cell, his eyes were closed but his lips were moving. He was muttering something.

I remembered what I was here to do and sprung into action after the shock made me hesitate.

The keys in my hand shook as I tried fitting each one into the lock, and almost sobbed in relief when one finally fit into place and turned.

"Dimitri." I called through the bars. He didn't stir.

"Dimitri." I urged louder as I pulled open the door made of bars.

I felt something odd as I stepped over the threshold of the cell.

Like blanket of black adamant had been laid over my very soul. Like a light inside of myself had been snuffed out.

The breath rushed from my lungs, and finally, Dimitri looked up.

"Roza?"

 **There we have Chapter 28! Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter, I'm coming to the end of my course and so I'm really starting to knuckle down and get on with my work, but I really wanted to get this chapter out and so I may have rushed the ending a little, but I really hope it's ok. Thank you all so much for your continued support, for the follows and favourites and the reviews, and just for reading my stories.** **I've never really found anything that I enjoy and that I'm actually alright at, so I'm glad I've found this website and that I feel confident enough to upload my words here, and it's all thanks to you! I can't promise when the next chapter will be, but I promise you it will come, and I'm so excited to write it.**


	29. Chapter 29

I realised then what had happened. My abilities had been snuffed out like a candle in the wind. The golden threads keeping my illusion in place had been sliced as easily as a warm knife through butter.

Dimitri's head thudded back against the wall of the cell and a content smile lifted at the corner of his mouth. "You're back."

He's alive; thank whoever is listening that he's alive.

And he recognised me. I searched inside of myself for the golden threads that kept me looking like someone else entirely. The threads hadn't been cut or shredded, they were just simply gone.

In a panic, I summoned flames to my skin. I went searching for the well inside myself and instead of it being bone dry, it too was gone.

"Dimitri, we have to go." I said, trying to mask my panic. I had no magic in here.

I threw myself to me knees in front of him and brushed his hair from his face. His usually silky soft locks were matted with dried blood and dirt. One of his eyes was black around the edges and dried blood had crusted to the space between his upper lip and his nose.

"My Roza, I'm so glad you're back. I missed you." There was a lazy smile on his face.

I knew what was happening; Dimitri thought he was dreaming, that or he was hallucinating, he didn't know that I was really here. What had this cell done to his precious mind?

I cupped his face in my shaking hands. "Dimitri, Comrade, we need to go, we don't have much time."

He ran his fingers through my hair. "We have all the time in the world."

I wanted to let myself crumble into his embrace, but we had to move.

I got to my feet and pulled him along with me. He was so clearly malnourished, he had lost almost all of his muscle that usually lined every inch of his body, and yet still his size and weight dwarfed mine.

If I could, I would transform my muscles into those of someone much stronger than myself, but every ounce of my power had completely dissipated.

I pulled his arm over my shoulder and supported his weight as best as I could. He was holding himself up only slightly, but I had no idea if he was even fully conscious as we made our way out of the cell.

I could physically feel a weight being lifted off my shoulders as we exited the cell. I felt my powers return, but they were completely depleted. I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to access them for a while. I had never heard of such a thing happening before, but Dimitri had been locked in there with his powers snuffed out for over a week, I couldn't imagine the kind of effect that might have on him.

Once we were outside the cell, I felt Dimitri shift and look across at the cell that was opposite his. He outstretched a shaking hand, as if he was going to reach out for something or someone. But the cell was empty. His shoulders sagged and his hand fell back to his side.

"Come on Dimitri, just keep your eyes on the ground, I'll get us out of here."

I half carried, half dragged Dimitri past the endless cells. I followed my own advice and kept my eyes straight ahead. I had seen what was inside those cells once; I didn't wish to see it again.

We passed the unconscious guards, who thankfully hadn't stirred, and carried on through the door.

We headed out East of the castle grounds, but towards the West I couldn't help but see huge clouds of smoke rising through the grey sky. That must be the distraction Abe had mentioned.

After what felt like decades, we reached the same part of crumbling wall that I had entered the grounds through. I slowly got myself and Dimitri over the wall, the stone dug into my arms and legs.

My breath came out in ragged pants as I hauled Dimitri over to where I had hidden the horse.

I shook Dimitri awake once more. "Comrade, please, I need you to get onto this horse." I put both his arms onto the saddle and lifted his left leg up into the stirrup. "I can help you, but you need to help me too. Can you help me, Dimitri?" I begged.

He rested his head against the cold leather of the saddle for a moment, and I was worried he had drifted into unconsciousness again, but just before I lost all hope, his gravelly voice let out a whisper. "I will always help you, Roza." And then he threw himself into the saddle. I had to push him the rest of the way up, but he eventually made it and sat slouched in the saddle.

I then pushed myself up onto the horse; I sat just in front of Dimitri so we both barely fit in the saddle.

I pulled his arms around my body and held the reins in one hand and his arms in the other so that I knew he couldn't let go.

I dug my heels into our steed's sides and she sprang into a gallop.

I barely had to steer her, she knew the way home. We whipped through the thick trees, the branches tore at my arms and face, but I ignored the sting and pushed her faster.

The only sounds were the horse's hooves pounding the soft earth and Dimitri's and my heavy breaths.

That is, until a second set of hooves joined the first. I fumbled for my blade, but I needn't have, as soon it was Abe that brought his horse up next to mine.

He took in Dimitri's slouched form clinging to me and his features filled with disgust at what had been done to him.

"Are we being followed?" I called across to Abe who was pushing his horse to keep up with mine.

Abe didn't even need to glance back. "No. My little distraction will keep the guards busy for a while, and I covered our tracks."

We whipped through the thickest parts of the forest for what felt like an eternity until finally the landscape started to look familiar.

The horses were breathing heavily and we had slowed to a canter as we approached the woodland surrounding Abe's estate.

I leapt off the horse as soon as we were at the house. Abe's feet soon hit the ground. "They will know it was you who rescued him. No one knows this place exists, but you should be safe here until they start to search every building in the Kingdom. Which I'm sure they will."

My only response to his words was a nod of acknowledgement before he helped me pull Dimitri down from the saddle. "Shit." Abe cursed as he took in Dimitri's wounds. "Let's get him upstairs."

Abe and I shared Dimitri's considerable weight between us and got Dimtiri upstairs and into the bedroom which I had been staying in. We laid him on the bed as gently as we could. "I'll tend to the horses, you get him cleaned up."

Abe stopped for a moment and put his hand on my shoulder. He didn't say anything, but his eyes shined with pride. "Thank you, for helping me." I said. He only nodded before dropping his hand and making his way through the door.

The first thing I did was fetch a bowl of warm water and several clean cloths.

I started at Dimitri's hair, I washed out the grime and blood until it was clean once again. I gently tended to the wounds on his face, cleaning out the cuts and washing off the dried blood. One of his eyes was swollen and a cut split his bottom lip.

Dimitri's chest and abdomen were littered with purple and blue bruises. There was a deep wound on his upper arm which had already started to heal.

Once he was clean and all of his wounds were treated I covered him with several blankets. His usually tanned skin was almost as white as snow. I pressed a kiss to his forehead and watched as his eyes flickered beneath his eyelids, but they did not open.

I pulled up a chair and sat beside where he lay in the bed. I took his hand in mine stroked my thumb over the rough skin there.

I willed the wood in the fireplace to become ablaze, but only a small puff of smoke escaped the hearth. It had been hours now since I had been in that cell, and I was only in there for a couple of minute's maximum and my sources of power were only just starting to refill. How long would it take for Dimitri to be able to use his powers again? And what effect would that cell made of suffocating stone have on his mind? I had a feeling that I had rescued him with more than just physical scars.

I reluctantly let go of his hand and stalked over to the hearth. My knees shook with every step. Fine then, I would do this the old fashioned way. I sourced a box of matches and lit one, throwing it onto the pile of wood. I stood and watched as the flames spread until the wood was roaring with flames and the room was cast in a golden glow.

So much had changed since I had last spoken to Dimitri. I had stumbled upon a family that I never knew I had, if you could even call it that. It still seemed that everyone knew more about my life than I did, but I was starting to learn more. I am a Princess, and not a fake one like I was before, Queen Tatiana is my Grandmother, and Abe is her long lost son who everyone believed to be dead.

What would Dimtiri think about all this? Would he trust Abe? Dimitri recognised me in those cells, but what if his mind has been warped and he doesn't remember his feelings for me?

I knew one thing for sure, that war was coming. A war was on the horizon and there was no way to stop it. I needed King Ivashkov to pay for what he had done.

There was only one way to find out, I would have to wait for him to wake up. And he would wake up; there was no way he could leave me after all that we had been through.

I went and sat back down on the chair beside the bed and took his hand in mine. The air around us felt warmer now, but his hands were still cold. I encased his hands in mine and rested my head on them. I tilted my head to face his sleeping form and watched his chest rise and fall with every breath he took.

I matched my breaths to his. I willed my eyes to stay open, but eventually they started to close of their own accord. Sleep greeted me with open arms, and I dreamt of being safely held in Dimitri's once more.

 **Dimitri's Point of View.**

The mind is a cruel place.

I did not want to open my eyes.

I knew that if I opened them that I would be back inside that cell. The cell where voices whispered such terrible things in your ears. The cell where the walls seemed to inch closer to you with every second that passed.

I did not want to open my eyes.

It felt so real, she looked so real. She said my name; she got me out of the cell. She almost made me believe it could be true.

Even now, I feel clean and warm and dry for the first time in eternity, but I know not to believe it.

The mind can play terrible tricks.

I can feel her hands in mine, but I won't open my eyes. I'll enjoy the peace before the reality sinks in once more.

"Dimitri..." The quietest of a whisper.

I heard the breath escape her mouth.

I needed to see her beautiful face.

I opened my eyes.

I wasn't in the cell anymore.

I was in a bed. In a bedroom.

She was sat in a chair beside the bed I was tucked up in. Her hands were holding mine tightly even while she slept, as if even in sleep she refused to let me go.

The hair that filled my every dream was spread over her face.

I had to see her face. I had to know if it was real.

I reluctantly, slowly, pulled one of my hands free and tucked her hair behind her ear. Yes, there she was.

But could it really be her? Could she really be here?

I was so convinced that once I opened my eyes I would be back in the cell, but I'm not. I'm with her.

I ran my fingers through her hair and a moan escaped her lips. Blood soared through my veins in a way that it hadn't in thousands of years.

Her eyes opened and filled with tears as she took me in. I willed my eyes to clear of tears so that I could see her more clearly, but they continued to fall down my cheeks.

She brought one of her hands up to brush away a stray tear and I knew that she was real. She never felt this pure in the dreams.

She was Rose. I was Dimitri. My eyes are open and she is real.

 **There we have Chapter 29! That's right folks, I'm still here! I literally can't believe how long it has taken for me to upload this chapter, but things have been so busy lately and I haven't had the motivation to write. I'm supposed to be doing coursework right now but instead I'm doing this. I can't promise when I will upload again but just know that I will, this story is not over, there is a war that they have to fight! I appreciate every single one of you who has read this story, despite my lack of motivation to write, I still love reading and receiving the notifications for when one of you follows or favourites or reviews my stories, so really, thank you. I hope that you're all doing well and that you haven't given up on me just yet. So really, thank you so much, I appreciate you all so much. Please tell me what you think of this chapter, I really hope I haven't let you down!**


	30. Chapter 30

Dimitri flitted in and out of consciousness for three days. I tended to his wounds, keeping them clean and changing the dressings regularly. When he awoke, he didn't say a word. He would just search the room with panic stricken eyes until they landed on me, I would give him a reassuring smile, and he drifted off back to sleep. Sometimes I would stroke my thumb across his cheek, and his eyes would close in quiet contentment.

I managed to get a few mouthfuls of food into him, with a few sips of water. Abe appeared every once in a while to check up on us, but I assured him we were alright and he left us alone, he had a war to plan, after all. I suppose we both had a war to plan, but Dimitri was my main priority.

As the hours ticked by, the well of flames within me started to fill again, until I felt the heat dancing in my veins, as if even my blood was relieved to have them back. I kept the hearth on the far wall burning strong, as well as several candles throughout the room, casting us in a golden glow.

Despite this, I occasionally summoned a loop of flames to dance around my fingers, just to remind myself that they were still there.

If this was how I was feeling after only a few minutes without access to my powers, I had no idea how Dimitri must be feeling, and how he would cope once he woke up fully. I couldn't even make a guess at how long it might take for his powers to fully refill, he spent weeks in that cell, and it could take weeks or even months for him to regain the full extent of his abilities. And with a war on its way, we all needed to be at our strongest.

I tried focussing all of my energy and thoughts on Dimitri, but I couldn't ignore what was happening in the world. King Ivashkov was responsible for so much pain and death in this world, not just to me and my family, but to everyone in Queen Tatiana's Kingdom too. I suppose they were my people, that it was also my Kingdom. It was time something was done about it.

I hated leaving Dimitri, but I had to speak to Abe. I had to know that there was a plan, and that soon we would take action. I rose from where I had been sitting beside the bed that Dimtiri was confined to. I pressed a swift kiss to his forehead, inhaling deeply, and left him there to rest before seeking out my Father.

 **Dimitri's Point of View.**

My mind felt dull when I awoke. I opened my eyes, which took more strength than I cared to admit, to find the room I was staying in empty. Rose was not here. Though the candles and the flames in the hearth were still burning, so I knew she must be close by. I hoped she was taking care of herself and not just me.

I did a quick internal check of my body, I could wiggle my fingers and my toes, and all of my limbs seemed to be working and mostly in-tact.

I knew Roza had done her best to clean me and tend to my wounds, but I still felt dirty, and I couldn't help but notice that there was still blood, dirt and God knows what else caked under my cracked fingernails.

I slowly sat up and shoved the covers off my body. My muscles screamed at me after being stationary for such a long time, but I ignored them.

It took me a few tries to stand up fully, and my legs were shaking by the time I had taken two steps towards what I assumed was a bathing chamber connecting to the room.

Had Roza been staying in this room before she came to my aid? Was this her bedroom now?

I opened the door to the bathing chamber and almost collapsed with relief at the sight of a large welcoming bathtub in the centre of the room. I turned the hot water faucet on and waited for it to fill up.

Once it had filled, I dipped my foot into the steaming water that had slowly filled the tub. The clear water burned the skin of my toes but I gritted my teeth and sank into the tub until I was submerged up to my neck.

My bruised and toen skin had turned red within seconds due to the heat. I didn't care, I wasn't entirely sure that I even felt it.

I gripped the side of the tub and sunk down until my whole head was beneath the now murky water. I water filled my ears; all I could hear was a dull roar and the steady beating of my heart. I could stay like this forever, I decided. I was as if I was the only thing in existence, like the entire world ceased to exist.

I pictured my mind to be a dull speck of grey in an endless void of black, that was me, and that was the world.

My lungs eventually started screaming for oxygen, my throat tightening, begging me to open my mouth and fill my lungs with air. I gritted my teeth and kept my lips sealed beneath the water. I gripped the side of the tub so hard that I thought the bones in my fingers might start to crack, but I held myself under the water still.

I wasn't afraid. Should I be?

I knew that I didn't want to leave Roza, but I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to be here either. There was such an unending silence in my mind, in my soul.

I pictured myself as that dull speck of grey again, all around me was nothing but black. Empty shadows and endless space.

But there, far in the distance was a burning ember glowing such a brilliant gold like a beautiful sunrise over a horizon. I was sure that I could feel the heat from here. The flame was far away, it seemed endlessly far, but I knew instantly that it was my Roza. It was like her soul was calling out to mine, begging me to fight.

I lifted my head out of the water and sucked down mouthfuls of air.

I felt her presence behind me, I didn;t need to look to know that Rose stood in the doorway to the bathing chamber, watching me. I glanced over my shoulder so she knew that I was aware she was there.

She was watching me with such an intense look in those beautiful eyes. She had always been able to read me as if I were an open book, nothing had changed in that respect.

Part of me had expected her to look at me with scathing eyes, I almost expected her to ask what the hell I was doing. But she simply beheld me with nothing but love and understanding in her eyes.

She slowly walked over to the tub and pulled up a stool where my head was now resting against the side of the tub. She didn't say anything, neither did I. She ran her fingers through my dripping hair and I thought that it might be the most glorious feeling in the universe.

She did this for several minutes, a sound somewhat resembling a purr occasionally escaped from my lips, but it didn't stop her.

After some time, Rose picked up a bar of soap from the side and began to lather my hair. It was such a personal and intimate thing, but neither of us shied away from it. I think we both needed this contact. I had never allowed someone to care for me like this before.

Once my hair was fully lathered, she gently pressed on my shoulders, guiding me without words. I followed her silent instructions and dunked my head under the water once more. I was about to raise my hands to wash the soap out, but her nimble hands beat me to it.

Once she was finished, she tapped my shoulder again and I sat up once more.

When I opened my eyes again, she was sitting beside the bath now, so that we were facing each other.

It took me a few seconds to full take in the sight of her. She was beautiful even when her hair hung limp around her and she had dark circles under her eyes. I lifted a shaking hand and brushed cupped her cheek, brushing my thumb across her lower lip, and I watched as it lifted into a gentle smile. The sight of it almost knocked the breath out of me.

A howling wind filled mixed with the blood that was now rushing through my veins. Thunder rumbled somewhere far in the distance, and Roza's eyes lit up at the sound of it. A gentle breeze played with the strands of her hair in response.

There was no way I could access the full extent of my powers just yet, but it was a start. For a time, I wondered if I would ever get them back at all. But I realised now that it was Roza that was bringing that power out of me, what she made me feel made even the deepest parts of my soul wake up and smile back at her.

I ignored the pain that shot down my ribs as I sat up fully and leant closer to Roza. I rested my forehead against hers and breathed in the scent of her, it awoke something in me that had been dormant for what felt like centuries.

One of Rose's hands came up and rested around my neck, twirling a few of the wet strands around her fingers.

I tilted my face until our lips were barely a whisper apart; I stayed still for a moment, giving her the chance to pull away if she wanted to.

Roza started trembling, and then she whispered my name, and that was when I pressed my lips against hers.

She clearly didn't care that I was still completely covered in water, as she came so close that our chests were pressed together and her arms were completely around my neck. The rapid rise and fall of my chest and the erratic beating of my heart matched hers.

She was letting me control this, I realised. I gently pressed my tongue against the seam of her lips and she opened for me without even a second of hesitation, as if she was waiting for me.

I sat up further, bringing her even closer to me being careful not to pull her completely into the water. Pain shot through my ribs once more with the movement and this time I couldn't hide the wince, Rose noticed it too and immediately pulled away.

She glanced down at me, and I wasn't even embarrassed as she took in the sight of me and how much I clearly wanted her.

"Roza." Her name escaped my lips as I saw the hunger fill her eyes at the sight of me.

She gave me a dangerous look before speaking. "Not until you're fully recovered." Was all she said before she strutted out of the room, swaying her hips as she went.

That woman may very well be the death of me. I wasn't entirely sure I cared.

 **There we have Chapter 30! Sorry it's not very long, the bathtub scene came to me last night and I just had to write it down, before that I really had no idea what I was going to do with this chapter, so I hope it's ok and it doesn't seem too much like a filler chapter. But things have hopefully started moving. I'm really sorry again that it has been taking me so long to update, but just know that I do still think of this story a lot and I'm always thinking of which direction to take it. Thank you all so much for sticking with me and for all of your support with the follows, favourites and reviews, I appreciate every single one of you. Thanks again so much, please let me know what you think, and sorry again that it has taken so long and that is it so short!**


	31. Chapter 31

After forcing myself to leave Dimitri's side for a while, I spent the evening speaking with Abe in one of his studies on the ground floor, it was a grand room, and the high walls were lined with bookshelves and windows looking out over the forest. We discussed King Ivashkov's potential plans and came up empty handed, we had no idea what he had planned for us, all we knew was that it wouldn't be good.

I had insulted him by escaping that day in the castle, and I had only angered him further by getting into his grounds and out again with Dimitri unnoticed.

I expressed my worries to Abe, we had hardly any people here who could fight with us, and the King had a whole army, we wouldn't even last a minute. Abe put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We have allies in another Kingdom." A haunted look crossed his eyes. "They will come if we call for aid." I didn't push him any further on the subject.

"Go and rest." He told me. I nodded and headed for the door. "Just remember, no matter what, you are not alone." I nodded once more and headed upstairs to the room that I had been staying in, where Dimitri would no doubt be waiting for me.

I had barely let myself think about what happened in the bathing chamber earlier. He had made my blood sing, he had turned my nerves into livewires. I had no idea how he had such a powerful effect on me. He made me feel alive. I saw how much he wanted me, and I wanted him just as much.

Dimitri was snoring softly in the bed when I crept through the door, careful not to wake him, he needed as much rest as he could get.

I tiptoed through the room and spent some time washing up in the bathing room until I felt human again before slipping on a nightgown and joining Dimitri in the bed.

I kept to my own side of the bed for a while, not wanting to disturb him or hurt him, but I soon felt his arms wrap around me, he pulled me flush against his chest and buried his face into my neck. I couldn't help the smile that had made its way onto my face.

He mumbled my name and the stubble on his jaw tickled my neck, making me huff out a laugh.

"I will shave soon." He whispered into my ear, his voice was low and rough from sleep.

"I kind of like it." I whispered into the darkness, threading my fingers through his.

"Do you want me to stay?" I asked. We hadn't actually discussed whether we would be sharing a room and a bed, it just kind of happened.

"Always." He said before pressing a slow and lazy kiss to my neck. He set my blood on fire.

The moon shining through the crack in the drapes over the window set the room in an eerie glow, and I waited until I was sure Dimitri was asleep before I finally allowed myself to succumb to sleep.

-xXx-

My sleeping mind cast me back to a different time in my life. I was dressed in all black, my hair tucked beneath the hood of the cape which flowed behind me as I silently leapt from rooftop to rooftop; I was a hunter tracking her prey.

A man had grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me into a dark alley earlier that morning. He was taller than me by at least a foot and was almost twice as wide. He shoved a handful of gold coins into my hand. "My wife is having an affair; I want the other man gone." He told me exactly where he'd be and when, and I was on my way without a word.

My muscles burned and adrenaline pulsed through my body. I had always enjoyed this part, the running, the chase. I resented what I had to do to survive, but I had always craved the feel of the wind whipping through my hair as I ran across the rooftops.

I got to the street I needed and shimmied down one of the lower slanted rooftops, I landed on the ground with little more than a light thud. I knew exactly what way the man would take home from work. And so I waited.

I felt the weight of the gold coins in my pocket against my hip and reminded myself why I did this. Because I had to.

I drew out the knife that I kept at my side and used the sharp point at the end to scrape out the dirt from beneath my nails.

I heard his careless footfalls before I saw him approaching me. It was late at night, the only light coming from the moon which shone in the sky and a few hanging lanterns around the street. There was no one else around.

The man turned the corner and I threw the blade.

It slammed through his eye socket and into his skull. The body dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. He was dead before he even set his eyes on me.

Some people paid extra for me to dispose of the bodies, but today's employer mentioned nothing, and so I simply pulled the blade out of his head and wiped the blood on his jacket.

Something felt different when I stood up and so instead of sheathing the blade back into its holster at my side, I kept it firmly in my grip. I was aware of the dream morphing into something else.

I turned, ready to disappear into the night without a trace, but two men stood waiting for me, blocking my path.

King Ivashkov looked exactly the same as the last time I saw him. His skin was pale, and his smirking mouth was covered by a bushy moustache, he was dressed finely from the shoes on his feet to the crown on his head.

Adrian Ivashkov, however, looked completely different. Where before he had been lightly tanned and toned, now his skin was sickly pale and his clothes seemed to hang off him. His eyes were bloodshot and purple bags hung under his emerald eyes which had been shining with mischief last time I looked into them, now they were the dull green of dying leaves. I could tell that his lip had been split and was now starting to heal. He had always held himself with such pride and grace, but now he was hunched over as if he would make himself invisible if he could.

I recovered myself from the initial shock and fear that surged through my body like a tidal wave, and instead smoothed my features out into a cocky grin. I flipped the blade in my hand over one and then twice, and leant up against the wall at my side, crossing one leg over the other. "Your Majesty, you are becoming somewhat like a bad smell that I can't escape."

"Some things never change, I see. Your arrogance being one of them." The King replied, I watched as he rested his hand over the ornamental sword he always seemed to carry. Adrian, I noticed, had no weapons at all.

"I can certainly think of better things to be dreaming about." I said lazily. How were they here? I could tell that this was no normal dream; they were really speaking to me.

"Oh I'm sure you'd rather be dreaming about my old Captain of the Guard. How is Belikov, by the way? Not too damaged I hope, we may as well have shattered his mind into a thousand pieces." I didn't deign his comment worth a reply, and so I simply carried on flipping the knife in my hand.

Adrian was silent and only looked at the ground, I kept trying to catch his eye, but he wouldn't meet my gaze. I cast my mind back to what felt like years ago but really wasn't that long at all, when Adrian had helped me escape the King's castle, he had promised me that he would help me, that he was on my side. And I had believed him. And part of me still did believe him.

I watched as the Kings fist clenched in frustration. "You must be wondering how I have come to visit you in your dreams." He asked. Again, I didn't respond, only waited for him to carry on with his explanation. "Well, my _darling_ son here has a power that he managed to keep to himself for all of these years. Something he inherited from his Mother. He can walk in other people's dreams. And so I am using him as a conduit of sorts, so that I can give you my message in person."

I acted as disinterested as possible, but my mind was in overdrive, sorting through all the information that I was being given and storing it away so that I could analyse it properly later. "Give me the message then so I can get back to my dreams in peace." I said impatiently, while completely aware of the body at my feet.

"I know that you are planning something, no doubt some form of revenge. Well, I am here to tell you that I have an entire army ready to march at the snap of my fingers. I am giving you one week, hand yourself over to me within 7 days and I will disband my army and no one will be hurt. I am feeling generous."

My blood was a whirlwind in my veins, a ringing had sounded in my ears.

"And if I don't?" I asked, it took all of my strength to keep my voice steady.

"If you do not, then I will order my army to hunt every inch of the earth for everyone that you and Belikov have ever come into contact with, and they will be killed very slowly and very painfully. And then they will find you both and bring you to me. Where I will make you wish that you had never been born."

I gave a dramatic sigh of annoyance. "A tempting offer." I replied.

"Do not think that I am jesting, insolent girl. The first place my army have been ordered to go is Queen Tatiana's Kingdom, where they will leave no one alive to tell the story of how they were defeated."

My mind flashed to that lovely Kingdom, the people who had taken me in and made me feel so welcome, Lissa and Christian and Tatiana herself. They were my family, they were my people. I could not put them in danger.

"I will consider your offer." Was all I said.

"Very well, I will see you soon, _Your Highness."_ I watched as the King grabbed Adrian firmly by the shoulder. Adrian looked up at me in alarm then, and his gaze was pleading and apologetic and I knew that he had done everything he could to protect me, but still it would not be enough.

They vanished into black smoke, and soon everything around me dissolved into darkness as well.

I awoke with a gasp. Dimitri's arms were still tightly and protectively wrapped around me. A light layer of sweat had formed over my skin, and my heart was beating rapidly. I took a few deep breaths, trying to collect my thoughts.

I could tell that the sun was only just starting to rise through the trees that surrounded the house, but I knew that I would not be sleeping again anytime soon.

I slowly and carefully untangled myself from Dimitri's body, which was not easy. I looked down at him where he was sleeping soundly. My heart swelled with love and the need to protect him.

I lit a candle with barely a thought and carried it as I crept through the deserted hallways of the Manor until I found a deserted study with a desk and writing supplies.

A plan was already beginning to form in my mind, now I just had to set the wheels into motion.

First things first, I had a letter to write.

 **There we have Chapter 31! I got the idea for this scene at around 3 o'clock this morning when I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep again, and I just had to write it down and upload it as quickly as I could because I hate to keep you all waiting. A big thank you to all of you for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following this story, I really appreciate it, and again I'm sorry for not updating my stories very often, but I'm not giving up on them! Please let me know what you think!**


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